A through Z With Luffy
by Nesloga
Summary: It's A-Z with a certain rubbery captain paired off with a green haired swordsman, a fire controlling big brother,and a fellow Supernova by the name of 'Captain'. There is in some chapters spoilers.
1. Amplify

_A/N: I'm going to do a complete overhaul of this fi. Because really, I went through it again and some of the Chapters make me cringe. So, if anyone would be kind enough to BETA the new version for me please drop me a PM. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.  
_

_Word Count: 612_

_Summary: Luffy just wanted to have fun. _

**Amplify**

Eustass Kidd quickly learned an important lesson he would not soon forget about his fellow captain. Do not give or let him near a megaphone. How does Kidd now know this golden rule? Well, let's go back a few hours ago where our favorite straw hat wearing captain is lounging on the Thousand Sunny.

"I'm borrrrrred!" Monkey D. Luffy or 'Straw-Hat' whined to no one. Why was the Monkey by himself you may ask, well the answer is quite easy to understand, well for everyone that isn't Luffy at least. The Straw-Hats had docked on a new island and had left Luffy to protect the ship under the explanation that Sanji was needed to get food, Zoro would just leave the ship and wander aimlessly before getting lost, Chopper and Robin wanted to look at some books, Franky wanted to get some things he thought could make the ship better and besides that, they needed more cola, Nami needed to get away from the 'idiots' that where the males of the Straw-Hats, Usopp had to restock on gunpowder, and Brook had to follow Zoro so he could guide the swordsman back to the ship. So as not to start another crew wide search that would last hours.

But back to where we left off, Luffy was whining about his crew abandoning him. Now that we have that settled let's move on.

Eustass 'Captain' Kidd was bored. And he hated it! There was nothing to do! Kidd was in no means a complicated person to please no in fact he was a simple person. All he asked for in life were loyal nakama, lipstick, and to die in battle, none of that sissy getting old and dying in your sleep crap. Really not so hard right? Right, but now he was beginning to contemplate adding something to his list, to never get bored again. Oh but how he would wish that he hadn't thought that a half an hour down the road. For he would find something to cure his boredom, and it would be none other then Monkey D. Luffy. "Will you stop following me?"

"Ahhhhhhhhh, but Kiiiiiiiiiidd I'm borrrrrred!" The straw hat wearer had leapt from his perch aboard Sunny as soon as he had spotted his fellow captain. Something just told him that talking to Kidd would spice up his day.

"I don't care if you're bored, stop following me!"

When no response immediately came the red haired man just shrugged and kept walking, after a few more moments Kidd sighed softly in contentment. It seemed like Luffy had decided to listen and had run off in search of a different adventure. But, as they say, 'All good things must come to an end'. For not even five mintues after thinking that retched thought Kidd's blessed silence was broken. "Kidd! Look what I found!" The 315,000,000 belli man jumped when he heard the voice of a certain monkey like person behind him but only ten times louder, he quickly turned around and came face to face with a Luffy waving a megaphone happily with a giant grin splitting his face.

"Hey, isn't that Straw-Hat Luffy and Captain Kidd?"

"What are they doing here?"

"Quick someone call the marines!"

Civilians at this point were screaming and running away in supposed terror, which leads to the point in time that Kidd learned his lesson about letting Luffy have a megaphone. In the end he and his crew, along with a giggling Luffy, were chased by the marines around the bustling town.


	2. Blush

_I'm going to go through the alphabet twice once with Kidd and then Zoro. Depending how people react by the time I'm through with those two then I might do Ace as well. _

_FOA: I don't own Luffy, Kid, Robin, Killer, or anything that has to do with One Piece. And I don't get any profit for this story._

_Nami: Did you say profit? You have money? How much?_

_FOA: No. I said I don't get money for this! _

_Nami: Well then, I'll be leaving. Hey Zoro! Where's the money you owe me?_

_Zoro: Get away women! I don't have any money._

_Nami: Fine, I'm doubling your debt again!_

_Zoro: What? Why!_

_Nami: For not having my money!_

**Blush**

"I was not blushing Killer so shut the hell up!" Killer or as his bounty named him 'Massacre Solider' sniggered lightly at his captain. It was just so amusing watching Kidd and the captain of the Straw-Hats interact, sometimes the interactions would end in Luffy running away with Kidd chasing after him with one of his swords drawn other times the ones that Killer found the most amusing would leave his captain blushing while the goofy straw hat wearer skipped off to his own nakama.

"Actually Kidd-san you where blushing." Nico Robin was laying in her usual chair on the Thousand Sunny with a book in front of her face. Killer's sniggers after Robin's comment quickly transformed into loud chuckles that caught the attention of the rest of the Straw-Hats including the bouncing captain.

"Ne, what's so funny, Robin?" Zoro looked to the archeologist; it's not every day Robin comments on something especially when she has a book in front of her.

While Kidd was distracted by his first mates laughter a certain other captain quickly attached himself to Kidd's back while shouting gleefully, "Kidd come play with Usopp, Chopper, and me!"

The goggle wearing captain hastily shrugged the other captain off before stepping away with a blush. "Luf- Straw-Hat! What did I say before about personal boundaries?!?" By this time Killer's chuckles had altered into booming laughter that some of the Straw-Hats where surprised came from the usually stoic and serious man. "And damn it Killer, stop laughing!"

"Hmmm….. You said that personal boundaries are not needed!" Luffy smiled his usual face splitting grin while he proclaimed what he thought Kidd had said on the issue of 'personal boundaries'.

At his captain's dumbstruck face Killer fell over from laughing so much, really it was hard for him not to. His captains standard creepy smirk almost grin had completely disappeared leaving behind an open mouthed, wide eyed red head. Seeing Killer fall over in his peripheral vision Kidd quickly closed his mouth before frowning. "No, I did not say that Straw-Hat. I said that personal boundaries ARE needed. And that you need to stay out of my bubble."

"Huh? When did you get a bubble? I don't see the bubble! Zoro can you see the bubble?!?! Oh no I've gone blind to bubbles! Chopper, help me!"

Luffy started to run off to see the reindeer doctor before Kidd snagged the back of his vest and dragged him back to where he was standing before. "There is no real bubble you idiot! It's an expression!"

"So you lied to me?" Luffy stared up at Kidd looking like a kicked puppy with those words and broke free from the red heads grip before running over to his money loving navigator. "Nami, Kidd lied to me! Tell him it's not good to lie!"

At seeing the mikan loving thief raise an eyebrow at him Kidd swiftly told her what Luffy was babbling about. "Luffy, Kidd wasn't lying. It was an expression." When all Luffy did was stare up at her from his spot at her feet she sighed. "Alright how about this, Kidd lied he has no bubble and you're not going bubble blind. And Kidd it's not good to lie to Luffy or use expressions."

The so called blood thirsty pirate captain openly gaped at that, he was being scolded! "Ne, ne Kidd it's okay I forgive you."

With those words the rubbery teen almost man hugged his 'friend' before going back to play with Chopper and Usopp more. "Kidd you're blushing again."


	3. Candle

_FOA: I don't own One Piece or anthing that has to do with it, so yeah._

_Luffy: Do you know where Sanji hid the meat?_

_FOA: Ummm..... No. Why?_

_Luffy: 'Cause I'm hungry!_

_FOA: Alright then. Bye._

**Candle**

When he thought about it he realized that Monkey D. Luffy was like a candle.

He was the shining light that encouraged his crew onwards. To fulfill their dreams and goals he made them believe that when all of them where together there wasn't anything they couldn't do. Hell together they had defeated Gecko Moria.

He was the one thing in the darkness that brought light to anyone who wanted it. He had saved Robin twice, the first time in Arabasta not letting her die and giving her a home and shelter from those who would abuse her; the second time from Enies Lobby and the CP9 when she was trying to give herself up so they couldn't abandon her when she started to cause them to much trouble. He had brought Nami up from her personal hell that she had been in all for the reason to save her village. He had entered the bowels of Thriller Bark to retrieve the shadow of Brook after just meeting him.

Luffy had brought light to so any people without even knowing it; he had saved Cocoyashi Village from Arlong when he was freeing Nami from her self appointed hell, he had stopped Crocodile and saved so many lives from being wasted meaninglessly by the sand wielder only for the reason that Vivi was a friend that needed help to keep her home safe, and he had put a stop to Buggy's rain of terror on Orange Town for a dog.

But like all candles he was dwindling down to nothing and his time to would eventually come. Kidd had heard what his 'Gears' did to him from Chopper. Each time he used one of his gears mainly the second one his life was shortened.

He had asked Luffy if he realized what his attacks where doing to his body and he was surprised with the answer he received. "I know what I'm doing Kidd. I know what my gears do to me, I'd be a bad friend and captain to my nakama if I didn't. But don't you see Kidd? I don't care what happens to me, my main goal has been changed over time. Now all I want is for my nakama to stay safe and reach their dreams. Sure becoming Pirate King and finding One Piece is important to me still but what kind of Pirate King would I be without my nakama? So you see, I know the risk; I know that one day using my gears could kill me, but if it's to ensure the safety of my nakama then I'm fine with dying. If it's for them then I'm happy. "

Kidd had to wonder if Luffy's nakama knew what their captain had come up with in his head. And if they did what did they think about it? Did they realize that each time they allowed him to burn a little brighter while fighting for them it ultimately shortens his life, making the candle melt away faster?

When he saw Luffy's nakama in action fighting their hardest to make it so their captain didn't have to step in and save the day Kidd had to think that they knew; and that they where all trying to get stronger so they could keep up with their hyperactive captain. Chopper was working out a way he could use more rumble balls without going psycho, Usopp was constantly making improvements to his and Nami's weapons, Brook and Zoro would spar with each other, Sanji could be sometimes caught sparring with Zoro and Brook as well, Robin was trying to perfect her own fruit powers, Nami was making battle plans for if they ever came in contact with an Admiral or Shichibukai again, and Franky was constantly seen upgrading himself and the ship. So yes Kidd was convinced that Luffy's nakama had realized what their captain was doing and had come up with their own thoughts on how to lessen the burden the rubbery teen held.

It seemed that the candle that was Luffy wouldn't meet its end as soon as he had thought.


	4. Different

_I have decided to do one letter a day unless I'm feeling really creative or I'm just being lazy you might not get a letter but I'll try to keep my lazyness to a minimum until I'm at least half way thourgh Zoro's alphabet._

_Also Luffy and Kidd are OCC in this chapter, letter, thing. I thought I'd make Kidd a little nicer and Luffy less of a spaz for this one._

_FOA: I don't own One Piece *sigh*_

_Robin: It's alright Authoress-san._

_FOA: I guess........ But can I at least have some pocky or maybe baccon?_

_Luffy: You have baccon? Where?!?_

_FOA: No! I don't have any baccon because my lazy friend couldn't cook food for herself so she stole all of my baccon! You hear or is it read that Fred? It was MY baccon!_

_Robin: Is your frind's name really Fred?_

_FOA: No, that's just her nickname._

**Different**

Monkey D. Luffy was different. He knew and accepted that fact easily now.

But it hadn't always been that way, no. When he was younger in the early years when Shanks had visited, the other children had made it painfully obvious to him that being different wasn't always for the best. Sure he had Ace, Shanks, and Makino back when he was younger but it was the times when they weren't there, the times when the other kids pointed out to him how different, abnormal, and strange he really was. Whispered insults under peoples breathe because of an assortment of things.

_"Did you hear? Garp just abandoned him and his brother."_

_"I know I can understand why he would do that to Luffy, but Ace? I just can't see how those two can be brothers."_

_"I heard when he was a baby Garp dropped him on his head."_

_"Well that would explain some things."_

His normal childish self had gotten him mocked even before the stuff with Shanks had started but after Shanks had come, after he had eaten the gomu-gomu no mi and gained the ability to stretch, and after Shanks had left him with his straw hat was when the other kids really made a line between him and then. At first before everything they had let him join in on there games once in a while but as time passed and he made friends with Shanks and ate the devil fruit the almost nonexistent line between him and them was solidified forever keeping him away from them.

_"What do you want Freak?"_

_"You can't play with us!"_

_"You're a monster, beat it!"_

Even when he became a pirate he was different, he was more childish then the average person and had gathered together a small but powerful crew of misfits in their own rights; Robin at age eight had became a certified archeologist and had learned in secret to read the outlawed Poneglyphs besides that she had eaten the hana-hana no mi, Chopper was a reindeer who had been cast out of his herd for having eaten the hito-hito no mi and then went on to become a doctor after his adoptive father, Usopp was chased daily in his home town for lying, Zoro was a drifter for a good part of his child hood before he settled at a dojo and trained to beat his best friend, Brook had been alone for the most of fifty years as a skeleton just drifting while playing Bink's Sake, Franky had been raised by the man who had built Gol D. Rogers boat, been run over by the 'Puffing Tom', and had come back as a cyborg, Sanji had been rejected by all until he had met Zeff because of his belief in All Blue, and Nami had worked for Arlong for years to free her village. The Straw-Hats where all different and that's what gave them the ability to see their captain for what he really was, a teenager that acted like a kid that was only trying to keep a promise to his idol.

But yes, Luffy knew he was different and he embraced it now. For if he wasn't then he would have never met his boyfriend Eustass 'Captain' Kidd. So Luffy had accepted being different and was now thankful for it, he had met so many people and had gained such wonderful nakama for it.

"Oi, Luffy you in there?" The red head gently shook his zoned out bouncy 'friend'.

"Shishishi, yeah I'm here Kidd." The straw hat wearer hugged the other captain with a gentle smile on his face. "Yeah, I'm here."


	5. Elegant

_Wow, you wouldn't believe how hard it was to find a word that started with the letter E that I could actually use. *sigh* Ah well here's E, I guess. Luffy, Kidd, adn Killer are OCC in this letter as well, matbe I should watch a One Piece episode so I'll stop with the OCC-ness. Yeah I think I'll do that. Yep._

_FOA: I don't claim any ownership to anything related to One Piece which includes all characters. Bummer._

_Killer: Hmm._

_FOA: Nani? Well whatever, I still don't have any baccon. *Sob* Darn you Fred!!!_

**Elegant**

The captain of the Straw-Hat crew was many things childish, powerful in his unique way, stretchy, knuckle-headed, sometimes scary, naïve, and to some people it seemed idiotic. While the captain of the Kidd Pirates was just as many things sarcastic, rude, powerful in his own way, 'mean', in need of anger management classes, proud, and as the marines described him as blood thirsty. But both had something in common, if anyone ever thought of either as elegant that person would fall over from laughing. Then depending on if one of the for mentioned people where there could either be smiled at goofily and be asked what was so funny before the questioner got pulled away by a green haired man towards a lion headed ship; or be cut down where he was for having the audacity to laugh at the red head while the red head pointedly told the person while gutting them that they should of kept their stupid thoughts to themselves and how dare they laugh at him.

"Ne, Kidd why does people laughing at you bother you so much? You always get so mad!" The captain of the crew that had burned Enies Lobby looked over to his boyfriend waiting for the answer he was sure to come.

And he waited and waited and waited until finally he got an answer. "It doesn't you idiot, and I don't get mad." The captain of the equally infamous pirate crew known for killing people that laughed at the captain or for the captain's bounty grumpily bit out with a frown.

"That's not true Kidd; you killed that man who laughed at you when you talked about One Piece, and the day before that you broke the arms of those drunkards because they thought you where a women and where hitting on you. And the week before those incidents you permanently maimed that lady who asked you where you got your lipstick from and then I think you seriously messed up that one guys head after he made fun of your name."

"You know what Killer? Shut up…… And why are you even here again?" The anger management needing pirate captain stared or rather glared at his first mate irritably.

"See! It does bother you when people laugh at you…… And hit on you, ask you questions, and poke fun at your name. Wow, Kidd you really do have anger issues." Luffy stared at the red head like he was seeing him in a new light, a light that bathed him in anger controlling related problems that led to violence.

"I know doesn't he?" Killer just had to put his two cents in, again.

Kidd counted to ten twice then went through a mental list of all the reasons he needed Killer to stop himself from lashing out at his oh so supportive first mate opting to use sarcasm, a lot of sarcasm. It also didn't hurt that Luffy was hugging him while humming a song he liked. "God Killer, could you possibly be even more loyal to me?"

"See Kidd was that so hard? All you have to do is try to not fly off the handle so much. And maybe keep Luffy with you at all times, that could help."

"Killer, just shut the hell up."

"Oh! You also chopped that one guys head off after he laughed at you after someone said you have the grace of an elephant in that one bar." Killer said that in a way that almost made Kidd think that his first mate had just remembered that incident and he would have to if he hadn't caught the tell tale snicker that came albeit quietly after.


	6. Fall

_This one was a bit easier then E, although I almost didn't write this today I was being lazy but I said I'd do a letter a day so yeah._

_FOA: I don't claim any rights to Luffy, Kidd, or the show they come from...... One Piece, Da!_

_Robin: Authoress-san you should be nicer, some people might knot waych One Piece and so they don't know where Luffy or Kidd come from._

_FOA: Why would anyone read a fic that they dont know the base story from the anime or the manga?_

_Robin: I honestly don't know..._

_FOA: Exactly. _

**Fall**

Luffy had fallen quite a bit for some one his age, some of his falls could be credited to very serious reasons and others made the rest of the Straw-Hats sigh and figure that only he could fall like that.

Some of his many falls where due to his dear, loving, ever caring grandfather, Garp. Or as he was better known as the great marine voce-admiral 'Garp The Fist'. Thanks to Garp though Luffy had been dropped from over a hundred feet in the air when he was a child courtesy to balloons being tied to him and lifting him into the sky, he had been dropped into a ravine a very deep ravine, and thrown into a forest to fend for himself. The forest one involved falling when he tried to climb a tree to get away from the hungry animals only to fall and land on the ground with a thud. There were also Garp's punches of 'love' that when put enough force into would send him flying then falling.

One that always made Franky laugh was when he had been picked up by a bird when it was only him and Zoro. The bird had dropped him in a wonderful place, a place infested with Buggy and his crew. He had also fallen off that cliff in Syrup when Jango used hypnosis to put his crew to sleep.

He had also fallen in battle, against Admiral Aokij, Rob Lucci or 'Pigeon Bastard', and Bartholomew Kuma one of the Shichibukai. Sure he had risen again to defend his nakama but he had fallen to these three in battle.

But his hardest fall and the one he would remember for all his life was when he fell for Kidd. His crew questioned him for falling for someone like Kidd, they thought that the red head was his polar opposite besides the want to find One Piece and become King of the Pirates. And they where in some ways true, Kidd killed anyone who laughed at his dream while Luffy merely brushed it off, Kidd wasn't exceptionally childish, and he had a temper to match Nami's when it was her time of the month. But they also had similarities both of them would protect their crew with their lives not that they thought their crews needed their protection, on the journey to One Piece the two crews had gotten strong enough to hold their own against almost anything their captains could handle. Kidd like Luffy had eaten a devils fruit, although the reason Kidd ate the foul tasting fruit was completely different from Luffy's, Kidd actually knew what he was eating, they both had been cursed to a life of sinking in the ocean that they both loved. They also both desired the freedom that came with being the Pirate King.

So yes his crew was right they where different but they where also the same it just depended on what parts you looked at.

"I blame you, you know." Kidd stared down at the shorter captain with serious eyes and a rather blank face.

"What did I do?" The keeper of the Youkou Shank's 'Red Hair' straw hat looked up at his boyfriend confused, what had he done that Kidd blamed him for?

"Hmm." Kidd hummed his answer grumpily with the same serious eyes and almost completely black face; it was starting to annoy the rubbery captain.

"What did I do? Kidd?"

"It's not what you did; it's what you're doing."

"And what am I doing?"

"Your making me fall for you." The blank face had transformed by this time into a mildly grumpy expression with the signs of a pout, barely.

"Well, it's only fair. You made me fall for you, you know."


	7. Glomp

_I almost wrote a drabble thing for the letter H, but it's almost midnight sort of and I'm to lazy!_

_Also this letter is AU it's set as if Luffy, the rest if the Straw-Hats, and Kidd are in highschool. Ace is in college and Robin is a family friend along with Franky adn Brook._

_FOA: I don't own any piece of One Piece._

_Kidd: Course you don't, like you could ever own something that was connected to me._

_FOA: LUFFY!!!!! Kidd's being mean again!_

**Glomp**

Eustass Kidd was annoyed, and it wasn't the usual annoyance he got daily from the imbeciles he had to deal with daily, or the annoyance that came from the bastards that made fun of his looks and name he beat them up about a week ago so they've been leaving him alone, no his annoyance was born from his hyperactive boyfriend popping up randomly all day rather he was in the hall ways or in class to glomp him and it wasn't just any annoyance either it's the kind that has you grinding your teeth together and clenching your fist to stop yourself from hitting something usually the source of the annoyance. Kidd knew that Luffy wouldn't mind if he hit him, he was actually hit a bit because of all the fights he himself got into that where in most cases caused by Luffy stealing someone's food when they weren't looking. Kidd was pretty sure that the whole school and some of the neighboring schools had by now learned to guard their lunches with their very lives because well that's what it took to keep food away from Luffy, the only people that actually didn't mind all that much when the bottomless pit he called a boyfriend stole their food was Luffy's friends and brother.

And those people where the reason why he couldn't show his proper frustration to the bouncy teen. He had had a tough enough time convincing Luffy's over protective brother and friends that he wouldn't hurt the naïve teen before they all finally where consoled with the fact that he meant what he said; them allowing him to date Luffy might of also went with the death threats that all of them had given him if he ever hurt Luffy or simply made him cry then he would die a very agonizing and slow painful death by Chopper poisoning him with some herbs that he hadn't even known existed before he was threatened with them, chopped and sliced then made into a stew by Sanji and Zoro the slicing and chopping more Zoro's doing, and being burned to cinders alive courtesy of Ace where just some of the less…… gruesome ways of death that Luffy's group of protectors had warned him with. But the point was if Kidd ever did hit Luffy then he would immediately be sentenced to death in the eye's of Luffy's friends, and he knew that he couldn't even hide because Luffy's grandfather could find him in a snap because of his connections to some choice government groups and Franky had told him that he had implanted a tracker on him.

"Luffy get off, now." Kidd was yet again holding himself back with all he had to not knock his boyfriend on the head because of said boyfriend's spontaneous glomp attack.

"Ahhh, but Kidd that would be no fun; besides I'm comfy here I think I might just do Zoro's idea." Luffy had knocked Kidd over with his glomp and was now lying across the steaming red heads stomach and legs restraining the movement needed to escape.

"And just what was Zoro's idea Luffy?" Kidd was past annoyance now he was at full blown fury, the mentioning of Luffy's best friend Zoro that Kidd could swear had a crush on Luffy didn't really help that much either.

"He said that I should consider taking more naps, something about that it would keep me quiet for more then three minutes. Well night."

"Wait! Luffy! Wake up dammit! Get off me!" Damn Luffy's friends for making it so he couldn't use force to move Luffy…… But he was sort of comfortable; maybe sleeping for a little while wasn't that bad of an idea. "Che, night Luffy.


	8. Hat

_Wheee!! I got the letter H done! Yes, go me! that's the ummm....a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h... The eigth letter in the alphabet! _

_FOA: I don't own any of te red heads in One Piece or One Piece itself *sigh* If only._

_Ben Beckman: Would you change Shanks any?_

_FOA: *Gasp* How could you even think that!?!? _

_Killer: How about Kidd?_

_FOA: You both have no faith in me! *Goes to emo corner and starts to grow mushrooms of sadness*_

**Hat**

Shanks 'Red Hair' one of the infamous Youkou and an apprentice pirate from the Jolly Rogers Pirate crew could only recall three times in his life when he was absolutely terrified to the point where his mind would go blank for a few moments. One of those times was when he saw Luffy being dropped in the ocean by the bandit Higuma then Higuma being eaten by the 'Lord of the Coast' leaving Luffy to either sink to the bottom of the ocean and drown or to be eaten by the sea king, after the whole sea king incident was another time that he remembered being scared of for Ace Luffy's older brother had found out what happened with the bandits, sea king, and the devil fruit Shanks had quickly left after he was sure Luffy would be safe because of his fear of Ace's wrath, the latest time he can remember of being that scared was when Ben told him that they where out of the wonderful healing water that was sake that scare was quickly remedied though so he really had experienced two great scares in his life.

He at the present could now claim to have three great moments of fright all caused somehow by the trouble finding kid he had left with his straw hat all those years ago. For he had just seen said straw hat on another's head, and not just any others but on the head of one Eustass 'Captain' Kidd who was at present coatless.

"Captain, what's wrong? Shanks?" His first mate and loyal friend Ben Beckman was by now waving a hand in front of his face to get him out of his obvious zoning.

Shanks could only point a shaky finger at the younger captain with a few forced out words. "Luffy. Straw hat. Not together."

Ben Beckman scratched his head while he listened to his frozen captain honestly the only other time he had seen his captain like this was when he had seen Luffy in danger, Ace coming, and when they where out of sake. He sighed once more before looking the way his captain was pointing before he to froze up, there was one of the so called Supernovas, the only one to have a higher bounty then Luffy's, wearing the straw hat that his captain had lent to _Luffy _who would never let anyone else wear it. Ben made his way closer to the hat thief dragging his captain with him in hopes of hearing what was being said.

"Killer! Where the hell did he go?"

"I don't know, probably to a restaurant to get some food."

"That idiot, I told him to meet me here, his hat is messing up my hair."

"You just want your coat back."

Shanks had by the time the two had finished arguing had collected himself and was now staring at Kidd strangely. He was meeting Luffy? Luffy had his coat? How where the two connected anyway? Were just some of the questions rushing through his mind. Shanks was about to go and demand the answers to his question from the younger red head when a bouncing messy haired teen came up behind the current straw hat wearer and gave him a hug that almost caused then both to fall to the ground.

"Kidd! I finally found you, you weren't where you said you where going to be."

"Luffy, we agreed to meet here, where did you go? And give me back my coat!"

"Ahh, well I first checked out this one restaurant that had a ton of bounties on the wall, the owner said he was collecting them, then I went to this one place I don't know how I got there but I saw Zoro! Then after going there I walked around trying to find you but you weren't anywhere! So I found Nami and asked her if she knew were you where and she guided me here then left saying you owe her 30,000 belli by the way, and adding that to the stuff you already owe her you now have a debt of 100,000,000 belli! Also, but I like your coat….. And I let you wear my hat!"

"How the hell did that witch come up with that number!?!? And why the hell do I owe her when it was you who needed her help?"

"Well, she said something about me forgetting to pay he back either way and that she could most likely trick more money out of you then the rest of us."

Kidd stared at Luffy for a moment in tense silence before he sighed and took off the straw hat, "Here, just give me my coat back."

Luffy smiled brightly before quickly removing the coat and handing it over to the gloomy red head and taking back his hat. "Thanks for watching Hat for me by the way. Well I got to go, the Log Pose is set and Sanji and Brook found Zoro so we're leaving." With that, a quick hug, and an equally quick kiss Straw-Hat Luffy bounded out of sight.

Shanks stared at the exchange before blinking and staring at Kidd then blinking then staring. "What just happened?"

"I think Luffy's made a new friend."

_If anyones wondering the reason why Kidd had Luffy's hat and vice cersa with Kidd's coat is because they had a race to the current island, childsh no?_


	9. Inside

_I'm really tempted to do letter J because I'm gonna be gone and without internet for four or five days. So no updates then but when I get back I'll upload all the chapters I've made and wasn't able to load.  
_

_FOA: I don't own one Piece._

_Ace: Yep, she also doesn't own anything connected to One Pie-_

_FOA: Ace? Ace? *poke* he's sleeping. So.... Shhhh._

**Inside**

Portgas D. Ace was one of the few people his little brother Luffy ever really let in; yes the bouncy teen made many friends. Some of which became his nakama but his little brother only let a choice few into the inner workings that was what made Luffy, Luffy. Ace can count on one hand how many people his little brother had let completely in without any of his defenses up. Him and Shanks where the only ones that his little brother had ever truly let himself be seen, and Shanks only earned that privilege after saving him from the sea king.

Ace was sure that some of Luffy's nakama where close, they could almost see his brother for his true self. It took time to see Luffy for who he was that and Luffy being willing to open up to them. The people he thought that were closest to seeing his little brother for who he truly was would have to be Zoro, Chopper, and Robin.

All of them have different reasons Zoro because he was the first to join his brother and he had been there to see all of the stress and pain Luffy had gone though from trying to get stronger for his nakama, Chopper most likely for the reason that the small doctor was like a child still that wasn't quite able to comprehend why people would do such terrible things to others but he still had a certain depth to him that allowed him to understand things far beyond his years and Luffy probably recognized that trait in himself as well, and finally Robin; she was possibly the one of all of them who was closest to seeing Luffy truly because of her childhood and life, how she had to watch and understand a person to live, that trait she had adapted allowed her to uncover the truth about people.

So imagine Ace's surprise when he sees the one and only Eustass 'Captain' Kidd and his first mate Killer on the Thousand Sunny with Luffy and his crew laughing and acting like they belonged there. Ace could only blink rub his eyes stare then blink again. "Ne, Ace?" The leader of the second division of the Whitebeard Pirates toppled over with his brother onto the deck of the Thousand Sunny because of said brother's enthusiastic hug.

"Captain-san maybe you should get off Ace-san and explain to Kidd-san and Killer-san who Ace-san is before Kidd-san kills him." Ace turned with a bit of difficulty because of Luffy who was sitting on his stomach to look at the red head who was glaring daggers at him.

"Ah, yeah I guess I should huh? Alright Kidd, Killer this is Ace he's my aniki!" Ace smiled slightly when Kidd's glare transformed from his killing glare to a look of befuddlement, he could almost swear he heard a chuckle come from Killer who was looking at his captain.

Ace stared with a smile on his face throughout the day as his little brother dragged his…… Boyfriend with him to play with Usopp and Chopper, bug Zoro to wakefulness, beg Sanji for food, listen to Brook play Bink's Sake and other more traditional music, see Franky about his newest updates on the ship, talk to Nami, and Listen to Robin tell a story. Killer followed at his own pace usually just sitting and watching while talking to Robin. Ace would occasionally hear Luffy make a comment that seemed childish but held a deeper meaning to those who could see the truth and was surprised to see Kidd answer the deeper part of the comment. Was Kidd able to see the truth? And if he could then how long had he been able to? Luffy quickly shot off to the kitchen when Sanji announced that dinner was ready and that his sweet Nami-chwan and Robin-swan got to eat all they wanted before anyone else was allowed to touch anything.

When Kidd got up to follow Luffy Ace stopped him with a look that brought Kidd to him. "I probably don't have to tell you this Kidd, but if you're just using Luffy or if you hurt my little brother I will hunt you down and I will kill you. Got it?"

All this was said with a gentle smile adorning Ace's face. "Yeah, I've gotten the same speech from all of them-" Kidd's arm swept towards the Straw-Hats who were laughing at something Luffy had done. "-and Shanks."

"You've met Shanks?"

"Yeah, about a month ago, don't know how he found out but he did and he gave me the 'Don't you dare hurt Luffy or I'll track you down and kill you' speech. He even added an extra threat about how'd he soak me in sake then feed me to a hoard of sea kings."

"Hmm, just wanted to make sure you knew."

Kidd stared at Ace for a moment before going off to find Luffy. The pyromaniac heard a laugh come from his little brother and saw that the red head was standing next to Luffy by then with an arm wrapped around the laughing teen. Yes, it seemed that Luffy was letting Kidd inside; Ace could only hope that Kidd wouldn't abuse that privilege.


	10. Jealous

_I'm back! Yeah! And I habe J, K, L, M, N, adn I'm currently finishing O for all of you!_

_I don't own One Piece_

**Jealous  
**

Eustass Kidd also known as a bad ass, the guy that could beat you to a pulp and the keeper of The Monkey was not jealous he was not; or at least that's what he kept telling himself. In reality he was jealous, very jealous but we can't blame him now can we? He and his boyfriend Monkey D. Luffy or _The Monkey _were at out clubbing with some of his and Luffy's friends.

He himself hated coming to these stupid places but he had been forced to accompany his boyfriend because of the simple fact that if he wasn't here then any fucker could touch what was his. He's not saying that Luffy wasn't able to protect himself or that he thought Luffy would cheat on him. No it was more like his naïve boyfriend couldn't tell when he was being hit on and thought that the person was just being nice, so he wouldn't send out the signals that told the bastards to fuck off.

And so Kidd had to come and make sure that none of the idiots touched what was rightfully his. Besides Luffy thrived off this kind of place, the bright strobe lights that shined down a arrangement of different colors, the loud music that created for Luffy a rhythm that nothing else could, and the ability to just 'let go' as Luffy liked to put it.

Kidd could never even think of banning Luffy from his fun for the main reasons that Luffy would be caged per say and that even if Kidd hated coming to these kinds of places Luffy looked sexy as hell when he let the music take him.

But Kidd was not jealous, no he wasn't jealous at all of the bastards that were surrounding his boyfriend on the dance floor, he was not jealous of the fact that a lot of them so close that they could reach out and grab him, and he certainly wasn't jealous that the same bastards got a close up look to Luffy when he was at one of his most open moments.

And he was defiantly not jealous of that curly haired bastard with the top hat. Wait a minute… Said bastard was feeling Luffy up! He couldn't let that kind of thing pass, oh no. So being the good boyfriend that he was he made his way to his freed of thought befriended and the bastard that was taking advantage of said freed boyfriend.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?!?" Kidd had had enough of the idiot that dared touch his Luffy. Kidd waited for an answer… And waited and waited and waited, the bastard was ignoring him!

"Oh? Hey Kidd! Did you decide to dance with me?" Luffy was as naïve as ever not noticing that when he had spoken to his boyfriend the man next to him had glared at his red haired love and the same red haired love was glaring right back.

"No Luffy, I was just thinking we should leave." Kidd almost, almost changed his mind when he saw Luffy's downtrodden expression following his statement but that was before he looked at the bastard next to his boyfriend that had gone back to staring at Luffy in obvious lust.

"Yeah, I thought that if you wanted we could go to that restaurant that you like so much" Kidd smirked at his boyfriends smile; trust Luffy to perk right up at the mentioning of food.

"Really? Well ok, just let me tell the others that we're leaving." Kidd watched as Luffy went to tell his friends that they were laving before turning his gaze back to the bastard who had the nerve to touch Luffy.

"So, who the hell are?"

The bastard glared right back at him. "Rob Lucci."

Kidd continued to glare daggers at 'Rob Lucci'. "Whatever, just stay away from Luffy." Right as he got done talking Luffy came back with his usual face splitting grin. "So the others where we're going?" When Luffy happily nodded Kidd smirked and grabbed his hyperactive boyfriend. "Alright then let's go. Bye Lucci!" As Kidd left with Luffy he spared a quick glance back to Lucci to see that the bastard was glaring at him.

"Hey who's Lucci, Kidd?"

"Oh no one Luffy." Yes Kidd was not jealous he was just… Protective of Luffy.


	11. Kitten

_This one is more of a budding friendship fic then a pairing one, it still has fluff though!_

_I don't own One Piece no matter how much I wish I did._

**Kitten**

Monkey D. Luffy was a very happy kitten; he had great play mates throughout the neighborhood, his older brother Ace, his uncle Shanks, and grandpa Garp around to keep him content and happy. But what was even better was that Usopp had told him that the humans next door to his humans where finally going to get kittens or cats to take care of them. Luffy was very happy with that, maybe the new kittens would make good company and play with him. So with those fluffy kitty thoughts Luffy went back to his, Ace's, Shanks, and Garp's humans place for a good nap then a fun game of 'tackle Ace when he's sleeping'.

Eustass Kidd was not a happy kitten; he and his play mate Killer had been kitten-napped, kitten-napped! They had been torn away from their other friends and were being forced to accept and take care of some worthless humans that Kidd in his opinion smelled terrible, terrible in only the way some can smell, like dogs filthy mutts all of them! He could only hope that there were some other cats or kittens to help him make his new humans hate him so much they'll take him back to the others; along with Killer of course couldn't forget Killer.

Luffy was ecstatic, today was the day that the new kittens or cats would come to claim their humans! Luffy couldn't wait! So being Luffy he didn't, with a flick of a black kitten fur soft tail he was off.

Kidd glared at 'his' and Killer's supposed humans. First off on the 'get the humans to hate me and Killer so much they take us back' plan was to find and enlist others that would help him. So with a bound and a light meow Kidd was out of 'his' and Killer's new responsibility's house and on the search for aid.

As Luffy dashed towards where he believed his new feline friends could be found he stopped and looked then sniffed. Where exactly was he again? Maybe Nami was right, maybe he had been spending too much time with Zoro. Nami and Zoro were some of his best friends; Nami was a shiny object loving tabby that had moved to the neighborhood after Zoro, Zoro was… How should he put this, well Zoro was green. Luffy was actually one of the few who knew that Zoro wasn't originally green more on the lighter ginger color before his humans got him. Zoro's humans were bat crazy; they had and kept dying Zoro's fur green! Although green was a very fitting color on him….. Anyways being green had gotten Zoro laughed at for awhile, that was until he had beat up all that laughed at his coloring. Which took awhile to accomplish because Zoro couldn't really find the ones that were laughing at him because he had navigational problems and couldn't 'find his own tail if his life depended on it' as Garp liked to put it.

So maybe Nami was right because he honestly had no idea where he was…… Oh well! He'd just keep walking until he found something familiar…. Wait… Was that? It is! Another kitten! Maybe they'd know where they were.

Kidd was mad, very mad. He had gone to find help on making his humans miserable but had been turned down at least ten times by several different colored cats… one was even _green. _Not that he could talk that much because he was red, an actual red. And it was natural. How many cats do you see that are red? A true red? Not many. So he was at present furious and pacing in a circle. He couldn't understand it, none of the others felines were even remotely unhappy with their situations. So because of his pacing and furious thinking that took up a big part of his attention he failed to notice a fellow kitten stalk towards him till he was pounced upon.

Luffy was extremely happy by now, he was sure he had met one of the new kittens already and was now playing with him! He had seen a glimpse of red and had gone to look and had found another kitten, an unknown kitten so he had done the most logical thing that he could think of, tackle the other kitten into playing with him!

"Get the hell off!" Luffy blinked and stopped his playful attack, the other kitten didn't sound happy with him, but why? He had only been trying to get the other kitten to play with him. "What the hell do you think your doing?"

Kidd was past angry and even furious now; an unknown kitten had suddenly attacked him out of no where! "I was trying to get you to play with me." Kidd stared at the unknown kitten; did the runt think he would honestly fall for that? "By the way my names Luffy what's yours?"

"Why should I tell you?"

Luffy once again blinked, the other kitten had asked why he should tell him his name, didn't the other kitten know that if Luffy didn't know his name they couldn't be friends? "So you going to answer me?"

"Because if you don't tell me your name we can't be friends, at least that's what Ace said and Ace is always right!"

"What?" Kidd was confounded there was no way that this 'Luffy' was serious, but by the look on his face he was. "Whatever, my names Kidd; I and my friend Killer were brought here earlier today."

"I was right! You are one of the kittens Usopp was talking about!" The red furred kitten or 'Kidd' stared at Luffy, and he kept staring and staring and staring.

"Whatever, I'm out of here."

"Hey wait up!"

Three months later Kidd napped lightly and thought, maybe taking care of the foul smelling humans wasn't such a bad thing… They had caused him to meet Luffy.


	12. Loophole

_I don't really like this one that much, but it's the only L word that I could come up with at the time that I could actually make a drabble off of._

_Still don't own One Piece dammit!_

**Loophole**

Six months ago Eustass Kidd was for once in a full blown smile all day happy mood. Why you may ask well the answer was that after pouring over legal documents with his best friend Killer he had found a loophole in the betrothal contract his parents had made for him before they had passed away. The loophole was that if he was able to marry before his twenty first birthday then he didn't have to marry the idiot he was engaged to.

He shuddered to think of marrying Hime, really what kind of people named their kid princess? The answer was the people that gave birth to Hime. Some of his friends did question why he didn't want to marry her and he could list off the top of his head three reasons.

Reason one she was an idiot and not the sort of idiot that had some smart moments but the full blown thing, she didn't know how to spell dog for god's sake! Reason two which the friends who questioned his choice thought was good she was gorgeous, but do you know how much gunk she uses to keep herself that way? He had gone shopping with her once and she had spent over three hundred dollars for her 'beauty products'. Which takes us to reason three, she was a brat of a girl who always got what she wanted and wasn't above throwing a temper tantrum until she got what she wanted. And her temper tantrums put many things to shame four year olds angry shrills, a elephant stampede, and a earthquake the big kind the ones that could total a entire city.

So you see why marrying her would be unappealing to him don't you? And you see why he'd be so giddy about finding a way to get out of the engagement? Well as of an hour ago his giddiness was no more because he had spent five months trying to find someone who'd he wouldn't mind marrying and had come p with no one, no one! Except Killer but his best friend was already evolved with a 'Nico Robin' person. So all Kidd could do now was laze around his house and sigh and groan and sigh some more. "Kidd stop sighing so much, if you're really so bored then you can come with me to see Robin and her friends."

Kidd stared at Killer then sighed again. "Kidd seriously, you've been laying around here for six days straight sighing. It's depressing, you're coming with me."

With a glare, an excellent show of how hard it was to get up and become presentable to the world and the silent treatment Killer had successfully dragged Kidd out of his house and was now driving him to the place where he, Robin, and Robin's friends were meeting, at an amusement park.

Kidd for lack of a better word was pouting, he didn't get why he even had to go with Killer, if he wanted to mope around his house and angst about his fate then Killer should respect that choice and leave him to his wallowing in peace. But no Killer just had to be a good friend and try to help him get his mind away from his saddening thoughts.

"So why an amusement park?" It had been bugging Kidd all day, he knew Killer didn't really enjoy such a public and loud place like an amusement park and out of what Killer had told him about Robin neither did she.

"Because, it's one of the few places Robin doesn't have to play 'babysitter' 24/7 for her more childish friends."

"Then why is she even friends with those people if she has to constantly watch over them?" It seemed like something that would put an instant stop to any kind of relationship.

"She likes their childishness and Luffy and the others have helped her a lot." Kidd perked up a little he had heard the name Luffy before he could swear he did…..But where?

A mere ten minutes later Kidd was being pulled put of the car by Killer and dragged to the entrance of the amusement park to meet Robin and Robin's friends. The first thing he saw was a green haired man fighting with a blond haired curly eye browed smoker, next was a orange haired woman hitting the fighting duo over the head, followed by a rather skinny man with an afro and top hat laughing with a blue haired Speedo wearer, a woman he could only guess was Robin was talking to a short guy with a pinkish red hat on and a long nosed guy, the last person he saw made him pause. The person had dark hair, a scar under his left eye, and a straw hat……. It was Monkey D. Luffy!

He knew that name sounded familiar, he remembered playing with the energetic teen when they were both five, they had met through Luffy's godfather Shanks. Three months later a mere two weeks before his 21st birthday Kidd proposed to Luffy, and of course Luffy tackled Kidd and yelled a happy 'yes'.


	13. Masochist

_I like this one a little better then Loophole but not by much, I think if I had taken the time I could of made this better and less choppy._

_Me no own One Piece, God! Stop rubbing it in!_

**Masochist**

'Straw Hat' Luffy and Eustass 'Captain' Kidd could be seen by both pirate crews just laying around and talking on the lion head of the Thousand Sunny, and both crew were astonished by that fact that there was no loud yells, laughter, or angry shouts screaming for blood but just quiet talking. Each crew had their own reasons for being so surprised The Straw Hats because they knew their captain well; he was loud, hyperactive, and usually would by now be begging Sanji for food but the rubber teen hadn't even mentioned food let alone meat since Kidd had come! The Kidd Pirates had their own reasons for being so shocked; they to knew their captain and their captain was equally loud, rude, and most of the time after about an hour would be yelling angrily at his over affectionate boyfriend for trying to give him a hug every five minutes.

So you can imagine both crews surprise at seeing their captains being almost silent except for the almost completely quite that surrounded them only broken by their quiet conversation. They were shocked, very shocked. That is until Nami being the money loving person she is had to start a betting pool on what they were discussing.

Twenty minutes later Nami had been able to collect over a million belli, the bets and guesses had varied greatly and some had even been strange to Luffy's crew. "Two hundred says their talking about Kidd's makeup and how hot Luffy is!" Both crews had looked at the man who had yelled the very unusual guess before Nami had shrugged and swiped his money.

"So anyone else want to place a bet? Anyone? Last chance people!"

"Nami, we believe that Luffy and Kidd are talking about the pins they go through to get stronger. We bet five hundred million belli." Nami's eyes turned into belli signs as she started to drool slightly at the thought of money before she came to and looked at Robin and Killer who stood together as Killer nodded his agreement to Robin's words before some of Kidd's crew that hadn't seen the two interact laughed.

"Alright then all bets are locked and you can't change them! Now who's good at sneaking so they can plant this den den mushi so we can listen to them? No one? Alright I'll do it then, but you all owe me a hundred belli!" When Nami got back to both crews after her so called 'sneaking' that only consisted of walking past both captains and putting the den den mushi down behind them. "Ok everyone shut up! I'm turning it on."

As both crews went silent the voices of both captains could be heard from the little snail. "I'm telling you, you are a masochist Luffy. I swear!" At this comment some of the betters mumbled to themselves with frowns before Nami sot them all a glare of death to shut them up.

"I am not, you're so mean Kidd!" Zoro smirked when Luffy spoke he had bet the amount of money he owed Nami that the two would be talking before Luffy called Kidd mean then they got into a 'fight'.

"I'm not mean Luffy, and yes you are a masochist."

"How so then?"

"Your Gears for one Luffy. They shorten your life while causing immediate draw backs that hurt you not long after. That and you act recklessly so you get hurt more. Just face it I'm right you're a masochist."

"Fine, but if I'm a masochist then so are you and you're a sadist not to mention."

"Alright, how am I a sadist? Or a masochist Luffy and do you even know what those words mean?" Some of Kidd's crew smiled at that, they had bet that Kidd would insult Luffy some way resulting in Luffy running over to his nakama yelling about how Kidd was being mean.

"Yeah I do, and you're a sadist because of the fact that I know you enjoy beating those guys faces in that mock you or your crew. And you're a masochist because you end up being hurt by the titles those same people you beat up give you. Like monster for one." Kidd's crew was gaping except for Killer by now, their captain beat up people for mocking them? And he felt hurt for the things he was called? That was just hard to comprehend to them who had always seen Kidd as a guy who didn't give a damn.

"Whatever Luffy."

"You know I'm right, and besides it's all for your crew just like I made my Gears to protect my crew." With those words Nami turned the snail off and turned to Robin and Killer with a saddened face.

"You guys won, just take the money!" As Robin and Killer both grabbed their winnings Nami broke down crying only for Sanji to try to cheer her up resulting in Zoro teasing her and Sanji and Zoro getting into a huge fight; which brought Nami to start a betting pool on who would win. As all this was happening both crews except Robin and Killer failed to notice their captains had stopped talking and were both sleeping in each others arms.


	14. Notes

_Alright I think I'll update O like... Next morninh or something, sorry but I went out of order and made W insted of O the other day. Oops!_

_Don't you people get it! I don't own One Piece already!_

**Notes**

Many of their friends thought that they had met in Junior Year when they both had detention him from spray painting 'graffiti' on school property, really it wasn't graffiti it was the truth Mr. Buggy really was a bat crazy clown obsessed freak. That and he always got into fights with the fuckers that made fun of him for wearing lipstick.

And Luffy for constantly bringing food into class which he claimed helped him 'stay awake though all this boring stuff' when he heard this he couldn't help but laugh but what really surprised him was that Luffy wasn't being a smartass but was telling what he thought was true. Go figure. But besides that because all of Luffy's teachers had gotten used to the D. brothers usual antics Ace falling asleep randomly and Luffy eating in class all the time. Luffy had gotten busted for fighting, when one of the teachers had asked him why he was fighting because he was usually 'a perfect little angel' Luffy had replied 'Arlong needed to learn his place and that he couldn't hurt Nami.'

But no that wasn't the first time they had met, oh no. They had crossed paths many a time before that. It had all started with Luffy's godfather Shanks who was a distant relative of Kidd's. Shanks was taking care of him when he had gotten a call from Dragon Luffy's father that Luffy was sick and at the hospital. So being the good godfather that Shanks was and the fact that Shanks really did care about Luffy they had gone to the hospital to check up on the dark haired boy.

When they got there Dragon and Garp had pulled Shanks aside to tell him about Luffy's condition leaving Kidd with Luffy himself who was staring at him curiously before he had grabbed a pen and notepad and had started writing. _Who are you?_

Kidd had stared at the sloppy handwriting for a minute then at the boy that had created it before writing back. _I'm Eustass Kidd, I came with Shanks._

And with those simple written words Luffy was his friend in a heartbeat because to Luffy 'anyone that knows Shanks is a good person'. Luffy had stayed sick for a lot of the time and they had communicated through notes, even when Luffy had gotten out of the hospital and had moved away they still stayed in touch via notes.

"Hey Kidd why does everyone think I'm not telling the truth when I tell them I've known you for years?"

"Che, hell if I know." When he didn't get an answer Kidd turned around to look at his boyfriend to see what was wrong only to have a folded note with some horridly written words on it shoved in his face.

_You're being mean, Kidd. _Yes not many people knew but he and Luffy had met through Shanks and had stayed together through notes all of these years.

Kidd stared at Luffy before shaking his head and walking away all the while still unfolding the paper Luffy had given him when he had opened the paper all the way he found the same horrible scrawl on the paper. But what was on it made him feel lighter somehow.

_But that's ok, I still love you._

When he felt Luffy peek over his shoulder Kidd sped up all the while writing something on the same piece of paper. When Luffy caught up a mere minute later Kidd handed the refolded paper to Luffy and stalked off again but this time without Luffy who had stayed put unfolding the paper.

Luffy stared at the much neater writing then his own and smiled before running to catch up with Kidd.

_I love you to._


	15. Okapi

_So here's O I guess. _

_I don't own One Piece and I don't think I ever will. But a girl can hope!_

**Okapi**

Voices could be heard along with the sound of toddlers' cries and several different screams filled with merriment from children. A roar of a lion thundered followed by the sound giant paws slapping the ground creating mild vibrations. "Come on Kidd! I want to see the monkeys next!"

Kidd allowed himself to be pulled along by his trouble finding boyfriend only barely hearing Luffy's cook Sanji comment on how 'He's going to see his relatives.' And the elbow in said cooks side courtesy of a green haired first mate which caused a fight to break out between the two only for both to be separated by a raging navigator with the words 'You idiots! We're trying to keep a low profile so shut up! And Brook you and Chopper stay with Zoro so he doesn't get lost and end up in one of the exhibits.'

Kidd watched as Franky and Usopp both started laughing, loudly. So loudly in fact that they were causing a big enough ruckus that people had begun to stare. "Franky, Usopp both of you shut up! You guys are going to be paired up for this, I don't want anyone getting lost *coughZorocough*. You hear me?" At the sound of the already enraged navigators voice both Franky and Usopp stopped laughing, straightened up, and saluted to her like they were in the navy and she was a superior officer.

You may ask where Kidd, Luffy, Killer, and the rest of the Straw Hats are at that the sound o a lion could be heard, monkeys seen, and exhibits present. The answer is, at a zoo! Yes a zoo, the rubbery powerhouse had coerced his crew along with Kidd and Killer to come with him to visit the loud place. Both pirate crews were currently about half way through the New World and they had both found an island that only Robin could pronounce properly, Orficthesfrew or something. They didn't know and nor did they care that is except Nami who had gotten Robin to teach her how to pronounce the islands name so she could add it to her growing collection of maps.

But why they were at the zoo, the reason was that Luffy had wanted to see it for this was no ordinary zoo! No this zoo was found on an island that was virtually, almost in the middle of the ocean known as the New World and because it was at the almost center of the ocean that many believed possessed One Piece on one of it's islands it had very good trade routes. The same trade routes had an abundance of rare things go through it; making it easy for the zoo on this island to get many rare and usually not seen animals.

"So what do you want to see next, Kidd?" The red head shrugged his coat clad shoulders, he really didn't care he was only in this place because Luffy was here and Luffy wanted him where he was, so meaning Luffy wanted him at the zoo. They had just seen the three headed rhino dogs and Kidd didn't especially care to pick an animal. "Ah, come on! Just pick one!"

Luffy continued to pester his boyfriend about him not choosing an animal to see till Kidd was at the point of frustration, frustration that caused him to yell. "Fine! Let's go see the…. Um-" The red head looked around for an animal they had yet to view before spotting an unfamiliar word _Okapi _so being the brilliant person that he was he suggested the animal.

"Alright! What go you think it looks like Kidd?"

"Hm, don't know."

"Ahhh, you're not being fun. Just guess!"

"Fine. It'll be…. Purple with blue polka dots, seven feet tall, with green wings, and it's going to breathe fire. There I guessed, you happy now?"

"Yep! Let's go, I want to see if you were right!"

Kidd allowed himself to be pulled by his overly excited boyfriend, again. When they got to the exhibit with the sign _Okapi _over it Kidd looked down at the animal. He was wrong not that it really surprised him. The animal below them was brown and had striped black and white legs like a…. What was that animal again? Oh yeah, a zebra. Ignoring Luffy's childish shouts of how he was wrong on his guess Kidd looked around and saw Nami waving at them and Zoro and Sanji being chased by marines. "Time to go Luffy." With those words Kidd grabbed the surprised teens hand and yanked him away from the line of sight of the marines and started to run towards the Thousand Sunny.

Kidd cursed when he saw some marines ahead of them and silently thanked whoever was the so called 'higher being' that some called god that the marines had yet to notice him and Luffy. So still being the brilliant person he was he took Luffy's hat of kissed him effectively hiding both his and Luffy's faces from the marines s they ran past them. And still being brilliant Kidd decided to keep up his and Luffy's cover until he knew for sure that the marines were long gone like twenty or so minutes later maybe.

_I just love the word ruckus! _


	16. Puzzle

_Here's P! I almost used the word Peaceful but I think I'll save that one for Zoro/Luffy Alphabet or Ace's. Hmmmm.... I've been thinking of doing only two alphabets this one then one that's half Zoro/Luffy and half Ace/Luffy the letters would depend on which pair makes a better drabble with the chosen word._

_I don't own One Piece._

**Puzzle**

Monkey D. Luffy was a puzzle. Eustass 'Captain' Kidd and almost every person Luffy had ever met could attest to that. He was an enigma. He was unique. He was so many things to so many different people that Kidd had caught himself wondering sometimes what other sides of Luffy he had yet to meet.

He had so far as he could remember meeting the Luffy that was more displayed, the one that was goofy, had an endless appetite, and more or less carefree; he had caught a glimpse of the Luffy that came forward when friends were hurt and threatened he was serious, focused, capable of killing anyone he thought was in the way of his friends safety, and to be honest Kidd was scared for and of that Luffy. When the merman that Luffy had come to call friend was hurt Luffy had taken up that part of himself and had attacked a Celestial Dragon without a care in the world, Kidd worried that one day that part of the rubbery teen would get said rubbery teen killed because he was willing to do anything for retribution for those who had been hurt. He had also met the Luffy that worried for his nakama that Luffy was calculating, focused in a whole different way from the way he focused when a friend was hurt this focused was used to plan for anything that came his way so he could protect his nakama, and softer somehow it was like when Luffy thought of ways to protect his nakama better he let almost all of his shields drop it was….. Disturbing in a way.

Kidd's so far favorite Luffy, was the one that was playful, flirty, and all together a lot less naïve then all his other sides. He had met an injured and tired Luffy, that Luffy was more relaxed in some ways, but also acted more caged in then in some ways, and he was a little delirious sometimes. He had thought in one of his more fuzzy moments that Zoro was a walking tree and Robin was a 'silly quiet storm cloud', Sanji had laughed at Zoro before Luffy called him a 'loud angry sunflower'. Kidd had also met a sentimental Luffy he was for lack of better words a bit…. Strange. He was far from the normal Luffy this one was clam, collected, and could sit peacefully in silence for hours, it was slightly creepy to see Luffy so still for so long without someone telling him to be quiet.

He'd heard from Franky what a drunk Luffy was like, let's just say it wasn't that pretty some words that echoed back to him still were disaster, no restraint, and chaotic. Franky looked terrified as he explained what a drunk Luffy was like and why he and Nami for the safety of the money and ship banned Luffy from all alcoholic substances. He'd heard from Robin about a Luffy he never wanted to see, a shattered one. The one that had had all of his nakama ripped from him, a Luffy that was completely broken and no longer cared what happened to him. He'd collected from Zoro what a starved Luffy was like, delusional was the best word. He had thought Zoro was Crocodile! He'd found from Ace and Shanks a child Luffy, who was of course childish, impulsive, and more or less the same as usual Luffy. Ace had also imparted him with information on scared Luffy, when the bouncy teen had gone to Ace because of storms and terrors that made themselves known at the dead of night to a child Luffy.

Kidd had so far met six different Luffy's and heard about five other Luffy's and he was no closer to solving the puzzle that was Luffy. But he could only hope that meeting the different sides that made up 'Straw Hat Luffy' would enable him to fit the pieces together. If Luffy let him of course.


	17. Queen

_I started this last night and just finished it, took me a little while to decide to use Queen for the Q word. But some happy news! I only have eight more letters in this alphabet left! R, S, T, U, V, X, Y, and Z! Why is there no W you may ask, well it's because I already made it!_

_Don't own One Piece._

**Queen**

"What?!?!" Kidd spluttered and stared at Luffy while wondering if he had heard right. It couldn't be, Luffy would never think of something like that! Or would he? What was Kidd so baffled over you may ask, well it was over something Luffy had said as you would have gathered from Kidd's thoughts. But what Luffy had said to get such a reaction is a whole other matter. "What did you say Luffy?" Kidd stared at his boyfriend not taking his eyes off of him he had to make sure he wasn't going crazy and had heard what he thought Luffy had uttered just moments ago.

"I said that whoever doesn't become the Pirate King could be the Queen." Luffy really didn't get why Kidd was so upset about what he had said. Nami had given him the idea and he thought it was great, so no matter what both of them would have the freedom a 'ruler' of the pirates had. So he had told Kidd Nami's brilliant thought and now Kidd was staring at him weirdly…… He didn't get it! But Nami had stared at him weirdly to….. It was really strange it was a sort of grin that Luffy had seen on Shanks a couple of times when he saw a pretty lady. Shanks still hadn't explained those grins to him; he'd have to remind Shanks to tell him because Shanks had promised to explain it to him when he was 'older'.

As Luffy thought about the elusive ways that Shanks had dodged answering his question about his weird grin Kidd was actually staring at Luffy weirdly. Did Luffy not get what that title was? It meant in their case something very distinctive. Who was the seme and who was the uke. Did Luffy seriously not realize what he had implied in his words? "Luffy, where did you get your idea from?" Kidd choked out his words between coughs and splutters after trying to breathe; he had held his breath while waiting or Luffy's answer and had been too stunned by the repeating of those words that he just couldn't breathe.

"Huh? Oh Nami told me! She had the same grin as Shanks when he sees a pretty lady, do you know what that grin means? Shanks never told me." Luffy stared at his recovered boyfriend hoping that at least he would explain this elusive grin to him.

Kidd looked at his boyfriend again, Nami told him. Figured the money loving navigator had been interrogating him about who was who in their relationship and when he had refused to answer and had instead left the ship post hast. Pushing thoughts of the mikan loving pervert Kidd focused on Luffy once more.

As Luffy patiently… Well as patient as Luffy ever could be which meant he was bouncing up and down slightly waited for Kidd's answer started to ponder. What did he need on his crew next? He already had Brook as his musician, Chopper for the doctor, Usopp was the sniper, Zoro the swordsman and first mate, Robin was the historian or archeologist, Nami kept track o their finances and she was the navigator, Sanji cooked, and he had Franky who worked on the ship… So what else could he use? Hmmmm…. Decisions, decisions. Luffy looked up at Kidd quickly when both arms of fore mentioned man caged him in next to the wall. "Kidd? What are you doing?"

Without answering the red head looked down at his naïve boyfriend for a moment before he started to kiss him. When Luffy just stood still frozen Kidd lightly nipped the younger teens lips getting him to open his mouth. No way in hell was he going to be the 'Queen'.

As this was happening a certain money and mikan loving perverted navigator stared down from the crows nest with a very elusive grin. Yes it had been a great idea to tell Luffy the queen thing!


	18. Red

_Alright here's R, I thought I'd be nice and not update my story at 11:30 at night for once. _

_me don't own One Piece_

**Red**

If you asked Monkey D. Luffy or Eustass 'Captain' Kidd what their favorite color was you'd get the same answer from them, in different ways of course. Luffy's with a happy smile and a laugh attached before he bounded away to get some food and Kidd's with a rough 'Why the hell should I tell you?' Then you'd go and ask Killer who would tell you after staring at you for at lat ten minutes in silence. But both answers would be the same, red.

Now both captains had different reasons for liking each color. Luffy's centered on food a bit. Meat was pink, a lighter shade of red so red is good was Luffy's reasoning. It was also the color of Shanks and Kidds hair! So red was a very good color! It was on three of his favorite things in the world meat, Shanks, and Kidd! Oh! It was also on hat and some of his nakama, so yes red played a very important role in Luffy's life of different colors, it was right before blue. Because he loves blue to, it was the color of the ocean and the open sunny sky where peaceful days of play could be found with his crew or lazy days of sitting around with Kidd could be had.

For Kidd red had its own charms. It was the color of the blood of all those whelps who dared mock him, it was the color of the blood of all who dared hurt his crew, and most importantly it was the color of blood that the fucking bastards who dared to try to take his Luffy whether it be through killing him or hitting on him. So red was a good color. It was also always seen on Luffy either on his red vest or when he chose not to wear it the color was on his straw hat. It was a color that Kidd had come to associate Luffy with. His boyfriend was the color red; he could be calmed to a lighter pink in times of peace but then could burn the color of licking flames when those he called his were hurt. So red was a very good color.

Luffy rolled on the deck of the Thousand Sunny. He was so bored! Chopper was making more of his rumble balls, Usopp was with Franky they were working on a cannon or something, Zoro was sleeping again, Sanji was cooking, and Robin was sun tanning with Nami while listening to Brook perfect his latest song he chose to learn. He was so bored! And what's worse was that Nami had said even though they were docked that he wasn't allowed to go off into the town, something about him causing too much trouble and the rest of the crew needing a break.

So he continued to roll on the deck before Nami yelled at him for being to load. He wasn't! All he was doing was innocently rolling around and groaning aloud how bored he was. So here he now sat on the head of Thousand Sunny when he spotted something red! So being Luffy he had to check it out, what if it was Kidd or Shanks?

"Kidd!"

The red head looked around; he could swear he had heard his boyfriends yell….. Maybe he had imagined it? So with a shrug Kidd continued to walk where Killer had said they would all meet. Kidd really didn't give a damn where they all met up as long as everyone could find the stupid place. "Gah! What the hell!?!? Luffy?" Kidd had as he walked been used by Luffy as a landing pad as he fell from the sky.

"Hey Kidd what are you doing?

"Luffy. Get off me, now."

"Ah, but why?"

"Just get off."


	19. Survive

_Here's S. I kind of made Luffy all broody in this letter, but I think it turned out ok. But I want your opinions so review and tell._

_I don't claim any ownership over One Piece._

**Survive**

At first his crew had questioned his judgment; they had all thought 'Kidd? Why him?' they had all wondered if he was off his rocker. Then slowly one by one they had all submitted and accepted that Kidd was who Luffy had chosen to be with. But even that acceptance hadn't stopped some of them from questioning him further.

"Luffy, just answer this question and we'll be happy for you, why him?" The dark haired teen turned his now serious gaze to some of his most cherished nakama. Zoro, Nami, Chopper, and Robin had all gathered and it seemed that they weren't going to leave without an answer.

With a pensive sigh Straw Hat Luffy stared at the collected group of friends. "He survives." With that answer the for once serious teen turned once more to look out at the rolling waves of the ocean.

"What do you mean by that Luffy?" The small reindeer spoke with an unusually quiet and calm voice. What did Luffy mean by 'He survives'? Chopper had stayed with Luffy through thick and thin and had yet to see his captain like this out of battle. Luffy was tense, as if he suspected something bad to happen. He was so serious as well, Chopper had looked at his captains eyes when he was turned to them and had seen something surprising. Luffy's eyes had darkened even more; his eyes were hard and cold. He had never looked at them with those eyes before. Even when he had fought Usopp for the Going Merry Chopper had been able to see some of the warmth that seemed to radiate from Luffy in his gaze, but now his captains eyes were like flint.

Luffy turned around once more but this time with a grin larger then normal and a familiar flare in his formally cold eyes. "Ah, let's not talk about this. I'm hungry!" With those parting words Luffy bounded away from the assembled group and could be heard whining to Sanji for food.

"But Luffy."

"Just let it go Nami, he won't answer further." Chopper turned his gaze to the previously silent swordsman.

"But Zoro, that wasn't even an answer!"

"Zoro's right Nami just let it go." The petite doctor's eye was drawn to Robin who was slightly frowning with a calculating look in her onyx eyes. "Luffy said as much as he thought we'd need to understand." Chopper watched as Nami turned her sullen gaze to Luffy before huffing and walking away.

When Luffy was sure that the others were going to leave him alone he allowed himself to relax some. They had been pestering him for over a month about his choice in relationship, he in truth thought that only Brook and Robin understood. They knew what it was like to be alone, so alone that it felt like a thousand knives where being pushed into you at a centimeter a minute pace never stopping. He had over his time with his crew felt like that not often but it was there. When they could not even comprehend why he would make such a choice, like when he would rather give his life for all for all of theirs within a heartbeat. They could not understand the pain he had felt when they had all one by one been taken away from him by Kuma.

They could try and sometimes he thought they all understood perfectly, but it wasn't so. They didn't know the feeling of knowing that they were the only person that stood between their nakama and death every battle. He wasn't calling them weak no they were all very powerful but when their powers failed them he had to protect with all he had and he feared that one day he wouldn't be able to. He was sure that it was possible now though, before he could have brushed it off but now he couldn't because it had happened. This knowledge separated him from his crew somehow; he couldn't be as carefree as them.

He acted carefree sure but he was always on the alert now. The knowing that his crew had the ability had the chance to relax completely and utterly was out a kind of barrier between them and sometimes Luffy felt like he was alone. Kidd to knew what it was like to be alone, he had his own crew to watch over. And Luffy knew how hard it was to not break completely under the stress that that kind of responsibility was. He knew some men cracked under the pressure and failed his crew but Kidd hadn't. He had survived all his way to the New World and that was why Luffy knew he could be with Kidd.

Because Kidd would survive and so would he.

_I can imagine that being the captain would put some kind of barrier between the captain adn the crew to some extent._


	20. Thirteen

_Here's T for you guys._

_I don't own One Piece. _

**Thirteen**

Thirteen was a special number to one Monkey D. Luffy. It signified the number of people he loved with all his heart, cherished to the point of breaking, and would protect with his very life.

First there was only two who he honest to god loved, for when they had been added he could do little to protect Ace and Garp. His loving older brother and his tough teacher of a grandfather they both had been added when he was still a babe, they had watched him grow, protected him from the cruelties of the real world for as long as they were able, and they had both raised him with love. He would always love them.

The next two people to be added and cherished were Shanks and Makino. A traveling outlaw known as a pirate who had given him direction and a dream and a smiling protective barkeeper who had given him guidance in a way no one else could they both played a large role in how he was now Shanks had given an arm and his hat to protect him and Makino had sheltered him and shown him a mothers love something he had previously never experienced. They were like the parents he had never had Shanks a playful loving father willing to teach his son and Makino a doting mother who knew the child's' needs and did her best to fulfill them. He would forever cherish them.

Eight people came next one by one they all were collected and added to his slowly growing number of people he would protect to the very end. They were his nakama, his crew, and his friends. A swordsman who constantly gets lost came first he needed someone to understand the hurt from his past and the reasoning behind his goals, a daring thief who wanted nothing more then to be truly free, a lying sniper who craved for someone to teach him things his own father would not, a chivalrous cook who desired to show all that things were not always myth, a naïve doctor required a shield against the harshness of this world, a betrayed archeologist who yearned for someone to truly except her and not turn her away, a emotional ship builder who called for someone to prove to him that he wasn't to blame, and last a perverted musician who hungered for a crew that would not abandon him to the darkness again. Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin, Franky, and Brook; his crew had all been damaged somehow and were all in need of some healing. He would protect them from more hurt with all he had.

The latest person to be added, the thirteenth was to be loved, cherished, and protected with every fiber of his being. Eustass 'Captain' Kidd. Kidd was different from all of the others, he was somehow special. He had a certain place in Luffy's heart that the dark haired teen completely believed no other could fill, Kidd was special. He was Luffy's other half; while Luffy was at times naïve, 'nice', goofy, and almost entirely carefree Kidd was knowledgeable, 'mean', serious, and almost always on guard. They were opposites and in their own rights and they completed each other. Kidd was to be cherished because of that. He was also to be protected, like his crew Kidd didn't need protection because he was powerful as well. But he still needed it, he needed someone to protect him instead of him always being the protector the shield, and so did Luffy. They fit together.

"Luffy, what's your favorite number?"

The eccentric pirate captain looked at his boyfriend; Kidd had been doing this recently. Asking him questions like 'What's your favorite color?' or 'What's your favorite animal?' it was strange. But he had answered all of Kidd's questions anyway because it was Kidd trying to get to know him better. "Thirteen."

"Why?"

"Because that's your number."


	21. Ultimatum

_Wow, this ones really long compared to the others...... I would of posted it sooner but I had a different word in mind but then while I was writing it I started coming up with all sorts of things I could do with it. So I chose this word and saved the other one for an actual chapter story I'll start on after I'm finished with this....... And update my other stories at least once._

_Don't own One Piece_

**Ultimatum**

In the end they were each given a chose in this horrible place called the world. They were eventually given the option to live or to die, to fight or to flee, to protect or to deceive. But what you chose to do in the end was what defined you; you could be a hero who saved all an angel to some or the terrifying villain that left a trail of chaos and fear behind them a demon of sorts. Monkey D. Luffy had been given these decisions many a time and every single time he had picked to fight, to protect, and to die. But he powerful enough that he had yet to die. He would always answer the ultimate question with the same answer, he would protect his nakama, he would fight for them, and he was willing to die as long as they lived.

The howling of the wind could be heard, it was a black night the moon was hidden behind clouds made of the darkest things. Luffy slowly looked out at the ocean, it was calm even though the wind was raging the ocean was serene and without a single wave it was an unexplainable thing. Black eyes turned to the sky it was so dark almost like someone had taken all light and hidden it away somewhere. As the teen looked round him he thought.

His mind was filled with many a thing the most captivating object was the ultimatum given to him every time a battle was started. He was given the choice to stand up and fight with his crew or run and abandon them. He had always chosen to stay and he would continue to stay with them. He now had even more reason to stay then before. The new thing that made the choice even easier was one Eustass 'Captain' Kidd. Luffy would sacrifice anything in a heartbeat to save the red head just like he would for his nakama.

Somewhere else on a very different ship another captain was out and about staring at the sky with a wondering gaze. It was always like this after he saw a certain owner of a certain straw hat fight he would stay up and wonder at particular things while staring at the heavens as if he expected tem to answer his questions.

He to pondered on the ultimate ultimatum, his thoughts almost mirroring his loves. How he would now give his very life to protect his crew and his fellow captain. Luffy was special in a way that not many saw, and because he had seen it Kidd would protect it with all he had. Luffy was against all others belief still a child, he was a mere seventeen year old and yet he had experienced so much. Kidd's thoughts began to drift until they landed him to a fight that had happened only the day before.

_Damn it! The stupid bastard kept fucking moving! Kidd's eyes swept over to Luffy who was by now panting harshly after delivering at least fifteen of his own attacks. He needed to end this quickly, Luffy was tiring Kidd knew it wasn't a good idea to follow Luffy's plan of heading into a marine base to say 'Hello' to his grandfather. But he had allowed Luffy to go despite his gut feeling he even followed the rubber teen!_

_And look where that had gotten him, fighting a vice-admiral and a platoon of marines with Luffy. Cursing Luffy's ability to create cute puppy eyes of doom Kidd ducked and turned around looking for the bastard who had shot at him only to see Luffy punching the fucker into the ground with hard eyes. "You don't touch him!" Kidd's own eyes softened slightly at that, it was just like Luffy to keep a grip on himself until someone that was close to him was threatened. As Kidd looked around he frowned, they were surrounded. Back up had appeared and now for every man they had taken down already two more took his place. He really needed to learn to resist Luffy's pout and puppy eyes; it was now on the top of his to-do list._

_A searing pain tore though his side and a gasp left his lips. "I said you don't touch him!" Kidd looked up from his newly acquired wound thanks to a stray bullet to see Luffy in a full blown rage punching and smashing all of the marines he could reach, which was a lot of them. "Kidd! Watch out!" _

_He turned around to be met with the glimmer of a sword descending down towards him. "Damn it Kidd. Why didn't you move?" Something warm dripped onto hi cheek and when he wiped it away he found it was red almost like blood……. His head snapped up quickly and his eyes widened at what he saw, Luffy smiling his usual happy smile but this time his eyes were filled with worry and with a blade through his chest dripping blood onto him. _

_As the sword that was stabbed into Luffy moved Kidd acted, using his devil fruit powers he summoned all the guns and swords that the marines possessed to him before going on a rampage. He didn't know what was happening anymore all he saw was Luffy with that sword through him, bleeding and fading. He'd kill all of them! "Luffy! Kidd!" A concerned voice, why was there a concerned voice? He and Luffy were on enemy ground and he knew none of their nakama had been with them. He looked up being shaken out of his killing daze to see Luffy's nakama and Killer standing on the wall used to protect the marine base. "Hold on, we're coming!" He smiled, if Luffy's nakama were here then that meant Chopper the doctor was here, he'd take care of Luffy, he'd save him.. With those thoughts everything went black…._

Kidd had woken up on his own ship and Killer had explained that Luffy would be alright the rubber fool just had to take it easy for a couple days. Yes, Luffy was willing to risk his life for him and he was more then ready to die for Luffy.


	22. Vegetables

_Alright here's V, personally I like the start but not the finish of this one. *Sigh*_

_Me no own One Piece, like da!_

**Vegetables**

"Why do I have to go? I don't need to! Let go of me Ace! Zoro help!" Roronoa Zoro shook his head at the pitiful site before him, his best friend Monkey D. Luffy was holding onto a post for dear life as his older brother Portgas D. Ace pulled as hard as he could at his little brothers legs. Why was Ace tugging at Luffy's legs in the first place, well the reason was that Ace was trying key word _trying _to get his younger brother to go to the doctors so the doctor could give them a nice little piece of paper that said that Luffy needed to eat his vegetables and not only meat.

You see Luffy was a very strong believer in a religion that he made up; in his religion you had to eat meat. You could also eat when you wished to grains, fruit, sweets, and junk food but you couldn't eat vegetables. You couldn't even look at them!

You can see how that could be problematic; it had started with Ace telling Luffy to find a hobby. Luffy's answer to that was eating meet. Then Ace said to find a pastime, once again Luffy's answer was to eat meat. And the last thing Ace had tried was to get Luffy to find a religion and well you see how that turned out. "Damn it Lu, you have to go see Chopper!"

Zoro continued to stare at the pitiful site that was his best friend and his best friends' older brother….. Idiots. "Why can't you just go peacefully for once!?!?!" Ah, there was the other problem. Luffy hated the doctors office he avoided the place like inside was a monster waiting to steal his meat which was a very big fear Luffy had, he liked the doctor just not his office. Zoro has actually had the mind to question Luffy on this and had gotten a rather strange answer. 'It's the place where they steal your soul and brainwash you with their evil stickers and lollipops!' Yeah that was Luffy's mind for you. With a cry Luffy let go of the post and flew back with Ace.

"Ha!"

"Luffy, get back here!"

Zoro shook his head one last time with a sigh, Luffy was now running off to who knows where with Ace hot on his trail. Che, it was getting ridiculous so with a final shake of his head the green haired man started off in the other direction. Now how did he get back to his place again?

With a happy laugh Luffy looked one last time to make sure that he had lost Ace to see that he had indeed lost his older raging brother. But Luffy's laughter was brought to an abrupt ending when he crashed into something. As Luffy bounced back up to his feet he looked down at what he had exactly ran into…… It was a person, with red hair. And a real fuzzy looking coat….. Barely resisting the urge to cuddle against the rather pissed off bystander below him Luffy instead gave him his best smile, and then he cuddled the bystander with the fuzzy coat. So fuzzy……

Eustass Kidd looked at with a scathing glare at the idiot who was…….. Cuddling him! And Killer was laughing at his situation! "Get off you idiot and Killer shut up!"

"Ah, but your coat is fuzzy!"

Kidd blinked; this stranger was hugging him….. For his coat? "Luffy you idiot get back here!" The red head turned a bit or as much as the dark haired teen on top of him allowed, to see a shirtless man with an angry scowl on his face running towards him.

"Ah, well I got to go. Bye!" With that the teen was off. Kidd blinked again, he had just been knocked over, hugged for his coat, and then left on the ground by a straw hat wearing teen that was apparently named Luffy. What the hell was going on?

Luffy laughed as he ran, that guys coat was so fuzzy! He had to remember to find him again so he could cuddle his oh so fuzzy coat once more…. "Luffy!" But first he needed to get away from Ace and the threat of going to the soul stealing brainwashing place known as a doctor's office. Curse you vegetables!


	23. Worry

_And here is W! I actually made this one when I was gone for however long instead of O. So this ones been all alone not being updated and it's now bursting that it gets to be posted. I know, it told me._

_I don't own One Piece, sheesh how many times do I have to put this here?_

**Worry**

Monkey D. Garp or as he was better known as Garp 'The Fist' was worried if you can believe it about his grandsons Luffy and Ace. More Luffy then Ace because well let's face it Ace, he can take care of himself except for the occasional narcoleptic bouts that had him face planting in his food. But Luffy not so much Garp isn't saying that Luffy's incapable of caring for himself it's more like Garp worries about how far Luffy would go to protect those who matter to him.

Garp knew for a fact that Luffy could take care of himself he proved it by surviving all he had put him through, it's when he's taken responsibility for others that have him pondering in the less interesting times of the day or night. Luffy he knew would do all he could to take care of those he considered his no matter how much it hurt him in the end and that's what worried Garp because he knew that Luffy would do his very best to make life easy for those who he had taken under his wing and Garp had to hope that Luffy's nakama could take care of themselves so his grandson wouldn't have to hurt himself so much in his goal to protect them.

So it was only natural that he would check up on his trouble making or was it finding? Garp had a hard time telling anymore, but it was only natural he'd want to check up on Luffy. He hadn't seen the rubbery teen sense Water 7 when he had more or less chased them out of the town. But he did it with love!

But what Garp found was not what he expected. He expected to find his childish grandson bugging his crew or something of that fashion but no. What he finds is terrible; it's worse then just terrible it's so terrible that Garp can't find the right word for it! His idiot of a grandson was sleeping! Again! Did the idiot have no respect for his grandfather!?!? Both times he's come to see his grandson said grandson was sleeping! Sleeping! Oh his grandson was in for a rude awakening now. But just before Garp could punch his grandson awake a red head showed up, which stopped Garp in his tracks.

What was Eustass 'Captain' Kidd doing on Luffy's ship? Better question what was Eustass 'Captain' Kidd doing? Well of course the only way to get an answer is to go down there and demand for one. So with a jump Garp landed next to his sleeping grandson and behind the red headed intruder. "And just what are you doing?" Eustass 'Captain' Kidd spun at the unfamiliar voice on the Thousand Sunny to find Vice-Admiral Garp 'The Fist' towering over him with a scowl. "I asked you a question Eustass, and wake up Luffy!"

A quick punch to the head woke Luffy, screaming, loudly. "Itai, it hurts!" With those words the Straw-Hat crew with the addition of Killer made their way to the deck to see what had hurt the rubber teen. When the Straw-Hat saw what was happening they just sighed and sat down to wait out there captains encounter with his grandfather. At seeing the Straw-Hats reaction to the marine vice-admiral Killer just shrugged and sat down next to Robin.

"So, what are you doing Eustass?" The question was emphasized with a crack of knuckles and a dark grin on Garp's face. "I know you weren't going to attack Luffy when he was sleeping, and on his own ship. Your stupider then he is!"

"Who are you calling stupid old man?" Luffy looked up at his grandfather with a glare and the signs of rebellion to anything the older Monkey had to say about his choice of living.

"I'm saying you're an idiot, you Idiot!"

"I am not!"

"Are you back sassing your grandfather?" Garp's attention was now fully focused on the disobedient runt that was his grandson, "Are you?"

Killer looked up in surprise, this was interesting Luffy was good friends with Shanks 'Red Hair', brother to Ace Fire Fist, and now apparently the grandson of Garp 'The Fist' who else did Luffy know or was related to that was as….. Influential in this world of pirates? While Killer pondered Kidd adopted the look that he was beginning to associate with Luffy's family and family friends' one of absolute bafflement. Luffy's grandfather was a marine? A _Vice-Admiral_, a freaking Vice-Admiral was Luffy's fucking grandfather! While Kidd was ummmm…… Yelling in his head Luffy and Garp had gotten into a fight, fell asleep, got Luffy punched awake, then settled the fight. "Well Eustass, why are you on the runts ship?" Ignoring the protesting yell from Luffy about how he wasn't a runt or an idiot for that matter.

"He's here because he's important to me!" Luffy stared at his grandfather daring him to protest his statement with the promise that he'd yell just as loudly back at Garp.

"Ahahah! He's important to ya? Hmmm, I never thought you would fall for someone like him. Ah well it could be worse." Kidd blinked, had Garp just commented positively on his and Luffy's relationship? "You could have fallen for one of the worse pirate cum."

"Hmpf! Shows what you know, Kidd is the best!"

Garp laughed, yes he full out laughed at his grandson's childish statement. It seemed he didn't have to worry so much for Luffy though, if Kidd was trust worthy. A crash was heard drawing Luffy away towards his fighting first mate and chef. Garp before Kidd looked away shot the red head a look, a look that promised endless misery and suffering if he ever hurt Luffy. Kidd blinked again, was it just him or was he getting more threats to his life ever since he began seeing Luffy then his whole pirate career had gained him up to the New World.

"Come on Kidd, Sanji's going to cook some of that really weird looking fish Killer caught the other day!" With those words Kidd drifted over to the bouncing teen and followed him into the kitchen. Garp smiled before shouting a fair well to his idiot grandson and going back to his own ship. As Garp looked out at the ocean on one of the slow uninteresting days he pondered. Maybe he could stop worrying about Luffy; he now had someone who could take care of him. Maybe, just maybe he could stop worrying.


	24. Xray

_This is kind of a follow up on Vegetables I guess._

_Still don't own One Piece._

**X-ray**

Nico Robin sighed; she should have known better then to let Nami and the guys come with her. But how was she to know the mayhem that Luffy would cause? Well apparently some thought that she should have known because it was Luffy. She honestly thought that the people who told her that didn't give her hyperactive meat loving friend enough credit, sure he was a mass of bouncing energy that somehow ended up always finding trouble but he was a good person.

Luffy was honest, he treated everyone he met nicely…… Unless they had threatened someone Luffy thought of as a friend. Like what happened wit the Celestial Dragon Family. Robin still shakes her head in dismay at that event; one of the younger Dragons had shot one of Luffy's newest friends Hachi as he liked to be called. Luffy ignoring the fact that the Dragons more or less owned the whole town beat the guy to a pulp. They were extremely lucky that Hachi's friend Rayleigh was willing to defend Luffy's case in court. But back to Luffy's good points, he treated everyone he met nicely, he liked animals heck not even a week ago he had climbed up a tree to save a kitten in the middle of a storm. He had had a terrible cold the following week.

But back to the problem at hand, she had needed to get an x-ray to see if she had indeed broken or at least fractured the knuckles of her right hand after she punched her ex boyfriend Crocodile when she caught him cheating. Now when he was cheating he was dating her but on the discovery she had broken up with him….. And punched his face in for good measure and because of said face punching her knuckles had been hurting and a bit of swelling had shown. So she had gone to the _not _doctors office as Nami had lied to Luffy because let's face it Luffy would never consent to going to that place. So she had gone to get an x-ray.

She really didn't know how it had happened either, one minute Luffy was playing with some of the things in the _not _doctors office like syringes, swabs, tongue depressors, and latex gloves when all of a sudden he had jumped from the room they all were occupying and yelling something about a 'fuzzy coat'. After that everything was a bit of a blur but it had ended with Luffy being banned from the _not _doctors office.

Monkey D. Luffy was having a field day, sure he wasn't happy about the reason they were in this place but the _not _doctors office had a bunch of cool toys in it! So far he had found some needle things and had poked Zoro with them to get him to wake up, prodded Sanji with these things that looked like popsicle sticks just bigger, stuck one of the those fluffy ended sticks in Nami's ear, and blown up one of the doctor gloves and drew on it to make it look like a turkey.

Just as he was about to start spinning on the doctor's chair he spotted something…. It couldn't be….. Could it? And what was even better was that it actually was! It was the red head with the fuzzy coat! So fuzzy…… So without a thought he had jumped out of the room containing his friends and pounced on the red head. "Fuzzy coat!" After that some things were a bit fuzzy, hehe, fuzzy……. Fuzzy coat. But what Luffy did remember was tackling the guy with the fuzzy coat and snuggling against him, then the fuzzy coat guy running away while he gave chase; then things being thrown, curses being shouted, and no more snuggling with the fuzzy coat.

Eustass Kidd was not pleased in fact he was very close to enraged. The idiot that had run into him only a week ago and had cuddled with him for his coat was at the fucking doctors! And the idiot had the nerve to tackle him, again then snuggle!

"Get the hell off you idiot!"

"But, but so fuzzy!"

"I don't care if my coats fuzzy, get the hell away from me!"

But the idiot apparently named Luffy kept following him causing him to throw things, insult him, and flee. He as going to kill Killer for thinking that this was funny! When he no longer heard yells of 'fuzzy' behind him he chanced a glance behind him to find that Luffy's friends had restrained him. "Baka, what did Ace say about hugging random strangers?" Kidd blinked, the idiot hugged random strangers so much he was lectured about it? Kidd blinked again when he saw who was talking…. He had green hair, weird.

"Ahhhhh…. But Zoro! He's not a stranger."

"Luffy if you honestly know him them what's his name?"

"I don't know! But he's not a stranger; I met him a week ago!"

Zoro face palmed his best friend was just so naïve sometimes. "And just how did you meet him?"

"It was after you ditched me and Ace at the _doctors office_-" the green haired man rolled his eyes at the way Luffy said doctors office, it was like that place was going to steal all meat in the world and not give any to Luffy. "-I ran away and ended knocking him over when I noticed he had a really fuzzy coat so I just had to cuddle with it! So you see he's not a stranger!" Zoro once again shook his head. "Besides he's kinds cute." Zoro sighed and face palmed and shook his head in dismay, it was just like Luffy to be captivated by a fuzzy coat and it was also like Luffy to tell them he thought the guy he had been chasing in circles was cute with said guy still present; and now heavily blushing. Che, this was just ridiculous. He'd just have to make sure none of them ever came near a doctors office again if this was going to happen, Luffy hugging an innocent bystander randomly.


	25. Yoga

_This letter is a bit shorter then W and X, just didn't really have that great of a grasp on this one and I don't really like it that much either. Oh well. And sorry I didn't update this yesterday, the internet wouldn't let me login. And I know it wasn't my computer because I tried to login on my Ipod and I got zilch and zip out of it. I'm using Safari right now and it's actually correcting my spelling on stuff...... Cool, I usually use the thing that's an e with an orange swirl thing around it...... Is it orange? Because I think my eyes have been oh so pleasantly screwed over by staring at my Ipods and computer screens to long. I actually have to go see an eye doctor..... What are those guys called? Seriously anyone? I'll let you pick whose paired with Luffy on A and B of the next alphabet if you know and tell me. _

_Well anyway, I don't own One Piece._

**Yoga**

All Eustass 'Captain' Kidd could do at the moment was blink then rub at his eyes then blink again. "Luffy…… What are you doing…..?" The red head blinked again. He had come to see Luffy and make sure the idiot wasn't getting into to much trouble and he had found him…. Literally tied up in knots. His Loves right foot was wrapped around his left arm and tucked under him while his left leg was stretched so it touched his head. And his head itself was entangled with his arms and fingers which he had stretched. All in all Luffy had created with his own body a giant knot of rubber stretchiness.

"I'm doing yoga! Nami suggested it, said it would 'keep me out of everyone's hair for more then three minutes at a time' she also said it would help me relax." Luffy was grinning… Widely with the usual twinkle in his expressive yes. "Ummm…. But I'm kind of stuck, help me?"

A heavy sigh was heard before Kidd started to untangle Luffy's limbs, once in the process getting hit in the face by a foot going back to its usual spot that wasn't located wrapped around Luffy's head. "How did you get yourself like this anyway?"

"Sanji helped me!"

Kidd frowned a bit at that, he really couldn't blame the cook because lets face it he himself had thought of using Luffy's rubber powers before to make sure the boy stayed in place; although he usually thought of maybe tying his arms around a post or something. "And you let him tie you up like this why?"

"Seemed like fun." Luffy was grinning hugely by that time. "Anyway Sanji promised he'd make extra meat for me for dinner." Kidd snorted; trust Luffy to let someone tie him up just for food.

"I sometimes wonder how you've survived this far into the Grand Line let alone made it into the New World without getting seriously maimed at least." Kidd honestly did wonder sometimes, his Luffy just seemed so innocent like he wouldn't and couldn't hurt a fly. But then he'd remember when he had first met him and how he had no qualms about beating the Human Shop workers down after the Celestial Dragon hurt his merman friend. That and he had heard multiple tales from Luffy's nakama about Luffy's feats in battle. It still amazed him at times that Luffy could still be so…… Himself after all the things he had seen and done.

The straw hat wearer looked up at him with a pout. "Ah, you're so mean. And I have been 'maimed' as you like to put it." With those words Luffy started unbuttoning his vest before he completely shed it. "See?" And Kidd did see it was a scar that was in his stomach region and when Luffy turned away from him to grab his hat he saw what must have been the exit wound. "I got it in Alabaster, from Crocodile." Kidd kept starring at the scar that was previously a wound that had had the potential to kill Luffy, he had heard about Luffy's fight with Alabasters 'hero and savior' from Robin but he didn't know that it had left a mark on Luffy. "Hey, do you want to do yoga with me?"

Kidd stared at his smiling love that had out his vest back on and fixed his hat into place. "You want to do yoga after you just got tied in knots because of it?"

"Yeah, anyway if I get stuck you're here to help me." And Luffy was right, he'd be there to help his hyperactive boyfriend whether it be in a fight or getting untangled from yoga, he'd be there.


	26. Zambia

_And with this letter we bring the Luffy/Kidd alphabet to an end. But I still am going to add the Luffy/ Ace and Zoro alphabet before I'm done._

_Don't own One Piece._

**Zambia**

Light filtered into the quiet room as a snore was heard. BAM! "Mr. Monkey, if it's not to much trouble…….WAKE UP!" A teen with dark hair and a straw hat jolted out of his seat where he had previously been sleeping soundly. He looked around while mumbling incoherent things that made some of his closest seat mates laugh under their breath, the words that the infuriated teacher caught made no sense to her though. Giraffe, marshmallow, cheesecake, and scissors were some of the clearer ones. "Now Mr. Monkey could you please inform the class what the capital of Zambia is?"

"I don't know!" At this typical answer from the youngest D brother to grace Grand Line University the teachers face became a rather interesting shade of purple, it was between violet and a rather dark maroon red. Money D. Luffy tilted his head, he didn't get it. Why did this teacher lady get so colorful faced? He had answered honestly and his class mates thought it was funny so he didn't see the problem with it.

"And why don't you know Mr. Monkey?" The teacher lady's fists were balled into fist by now and her teeth were grinding at what seemed to be an almost painful level. And her thoughts were painful, oh so very painful. But not her pain, no the pain filled thoughts were focused on the young teen's pain. The thoughts drifted from imagined decapitations to her laughing over a starving Luffy begging for his precious meat. Yes her thoughts were very cruel. As her thoughts ran without restraint she started to chuckle which turned into a laugh which transformed into malicious gleeful cackling.

As there teacher started to cackle evilly students started to drift out of the classroom slowly as their teacher continued to cackle her way to being fired.

"God, I am so happy I chose all the same classes Luffy did. He ends up driving at least one of our teacher's crazy a week so that class is canceled until a new teacher could be found. Good job Luffy." A orange haired girl looked down at her crazy teacher making friend.

"So I don't have to answer her question then? Because I honestly don't know the capital of Zambia is where is Zambia anyway? " Luffy looked at his friends waiting for an answer, they'd know where this 'Zambia' was.

"You don't know? But weren't you studying with Kidd the other day on this stuff?"

"Well…. Uh….. You see, hey what's that?" As his friends turned to look for the mysterious thing behind them the dark haired teen made a quick dash to the other side of the college. Just as he was catching his breath he spotted something red…… With a fuzzy coat….. And lipstick on…. Only one person had all those attributes. "Kidd!"

"What the? Luffy! Get off me!" Eustass Kidd stared at his boyfriend as he hugged him with his usual smile in place. As Luffy refused to budge even with the bribe of meat Kidd sighed and accepted his fate. "And shouldn't you be in class?......"

"Hmm? No the teacher started cackling and we all were excused." Kidd shook his head. Really, almost like clockwork Luffy drove one of his teachers to getting fired or simply walking out of the classroom. "Hey, Kidd what's the capital of Zambia by the way. You never told me."

Kidd blushed as he heard Killer chuckle from behind him. Yeah he was supposed to have tutored Luffy last night but then things got a little touchy and before he knew it, it was five minutes to curfew causing Luffy to run to his dorm without being taught much. And Killer knew that. "Umm… It's Lusaka."

"Alright, I got to get to my next class; Robin said I could eat during it if I got there on time. Bye!"

"So how was your night? I know it wasn't spent studying."

The red head's face quickly became the same color as his hair as he made to punch a laughing Killer. "Shut the hell up!"


	27. Angel

_Yeah! Go me, here's the first letter to the combined Ace and Zoro alphabet, it's an LuffyxAce! I just love this pairing! This is sort of how I imagine Ace's mind would function, he just seems more of the brooding type of guy. You know?_

_Don't own One Piece._

**Angel**

His little brother was an angel. He was innocent of many things that others had done; others had attacked and betrayed comrades for power or money. His angel would never dream of such a thing. His angel had never even dreamed of harming someone who had never wronged him, he would never turn his back to the ones that mattered to him. He left behind him a trail of good fortune to the ones that had been suppressed by tyrants and dictators. He was innocent of the sins of humanity, and as his older brother he would protect and guard that innocence with his very life.

His little brother was a broken angel. He had lost everything in a few minutes time. His nakama had been ripped away from him one by one scattering all he had believed in. His angel had been hurt deeply, a scathing red hot knife of doubt in his own powers had ripped and shredded its way into his heart of hearts. He had been wounded, he had been shown a part of the world that Ace had hoped beyond measure that he would never come in contact with. When he heard of his little angels aching wounds left by that experience by the very ones that were torn away he had almost cried. He had failed his angel; his angel had been hurt while he was incarcerated in Impel Down. His angel had felt the bitterness of losing everything he held dear and felt responsible for in a flash of never ending pain.

His little brother was a fractured angel. He had been betrayed and abandoned by one of his nakama. When he had heard this particular story he had almost, almost tackled the curly haired liar and choked him to death. But he had stopped when he saw Luffy's expression when the little reindeer went on and told of how Usopp had come with them to save Robin, even if he was in a poorly thought out disguise, his angel was smiling radiantly and he knew if he was to hurt his brother's nakama his angel would despise him. His angel had been healed with the return of his nakama and with them the return of his ambitions, dreams, and goals. His angel had healed so he could forgive.

His little brother was a dark angel. He had seen when his angel had come to save him at Loguetown; he had seen the darkness that had somehow seeped into him. He was a force to be reckoned with, he tore and raged at all who stood in his path to save him. He had heard tales of this dark angel of his from his brother's nakama when he had fought with those that had the potential to kill him and in doing so almost signing something that said his nakama would suffer. His dark angel would appear and fight all that threatened those that he had claimed as his. He had seen Luffy tear apart with his bare hands those that stood between them as the shimmer of a sword dove down upon him, ready to kill him and leave his angel alone, but the dark angel that used to be innocent had stopped the descent of the sword. He felt something akin to guilt for his angels' transformation before the dark angel had disappeared and left a smiling Luffy in its presence.

His little brother was a fallen angel. He had witnessed his angels fall with his own eyes. He had at first thought that it was terrible of him to allow his angel to fall. It was a greater sin then even his angel was able to just ignore and pretend didn't exist. But then before the dark angel came, before he was saved from certain death the ones that had caged him taunted. They revealed his heritage that his little brother, his angel was not really his true little brother. In his heart he knew he would always see his angel as his little smiling storm fearing little brother. But now his angel wouldn't have to fall as much the sin they would come into was a more common one, one that his angel was able to surpass and still be his own self, one that the world did not look away in scorn at. For they had been born to different parents. His little brother was not a true fallen angel he had only had his wings clipped. His angel would eventually return to his true glory.

"Hmmm, Ace? What's wrong?" His angel was staring at him with such a loving look that he could only thank the gods or god for blessing him with his angel for how ever long he had him.

"Nothing Lu, go back to sleep." With a sweet kiss his angel consented and allowed himself to be pulled his arms once more with a breatheless sigh.

His little brother was an angel, he had been broken, then fractured, he was dark, and almost fallen. But he was his angel and he wouldn't have it any other way.


	28. Banished

_**This is the first LuffyxZoro of this alphabet. Thing is it's not really a pairing it's more of the stage settign for a differetn letter, and I do plan to use this stage to my advantage. Oh yes.**_

_No own One Piece_

**Banished**

Roronoa Zoro was not a happy beta in fact he wasn't even a beta anymore. His alpha had banished him from the pack, him, he had stood by his alpha even through the harshest of winters, even when his alpha had done the one thing that made all turn away with scorn, disgust, and hate. His alpha had killed pups; pups from there own pack, because of that almost everyone had left. But not him, no he had stayed loyal to his alpha. And so he was banished, cast off all because he had helped a wolf out of his pack, well two wolves. That were from a different pack, but they were just pups! He couldn't just leave them there; no one could say that he didn't have a heart.

He was also peeved because the pups he had saved wouldn't leave him alone, they just kept following him! He wouldn't put up with this kind of thing. So with a snarl and a snap of his jaws he forced the runts off his tail. "Get the hell away from me! Go back to your own pack." With a growl he turned away and started to run.

"Hey! Aniki wait up!" That was Johnny one of the pups and the one that yapped the most.

"Yeah Aniki wait for us!" And that was Yosaku, the litter mate of Johnny. Both were pups, probably only a single winter old. And yet they had been left alone and in the situation that Zoro had saved them from. And that's what had Zoro furious beyond anything else they had been alone and had been trapped by one of his ex pack mates and were about to have their throats torn bloody when he had stepped in. An older wolf should have been with them of they were simply practicing hunting; and if they weren't then they shouldn't have even been separated from there pack.

"I'm not your aniki, and you have no right to call me that!" Stupid runt, didn't he know that only an older pack mate would be his 'aniki'.

"Ah, but you saved us! And Luffy said that if someone saves you then there nakama. So you are our aniki, Aniki!"

Zoro froze….. The runt had said Luffy….. Luffy's name was a well known one. He was told to be a bloodthirsty animal –well more then anyone else was- that had no heart and no mercy. There were tales of him killing entire rival packs even the pups, they said that he lived to kill and was a ferocious beast that would kill someone for merely looking at him wrong…… But what was 'nakama', it was a term he had yet to hear. As if sensing his confusion over the foreign word Yosaku spoke, "Luffy said that if someone's nakama then there family, closer then even a pack. So you have to come with us, if you're our nakama then your Luffy's to! And Luffy likes to know where all of his nakama are."

Zoro snorted, he bet Luffy wanted to know where all his so called nakama were. "If he likes to know where all of you are then why were you two by yourselves."

Johnny looked up with a sheepish grin on his muzzle. "Well you see, we snuck out when everyone else was sleeping. Usopp had told us this story and we wanted to see if there really was a boulder past the waterfalls that was a petrified bear. Usopp said it turned into stone when it had seen him because it was so scared. We don't believe him so we went to check it out…….. And then we got lost and ended up where you saved us."

Zoro sighed, "Fine I'll take you back to your pack. But after that I'm gone." Johnny and Yosaku had both nodded their agreement to quickly….. Just what were they playing at?

Little did Zoro know that they were plotting, for you see they knew the effect that their alpha had on others. They knew that once Luffy accepted you and treated you like nakama that you found it hard to leave. Luffy just had a charm about him that made it hard for others to resist him; Ace had said it was a instinct to protect him that Luffy just had an aura of innocence around him that made wolves flock to him in droves. When they had questioned him further Ace had revealed that many of their pack mates had not been born into their pack but adopted by Luffy like they were, and soon like Zoro.

And that is how Zoro found himself two days later in the 'Bloodthirsty' Luffy's presence. "So you found Johnny and Yosaku? And for protecting them you were kicked out of your pack?" At Zoro's nod Luffy smiled….. Or as close to smiling as a wolf could get which was eerily close. "Well then the answer to you being unattached to a pack is easy to solve." The black almost green furred wolf gazed at the childish alpha in confusion. "You'll just be part of our pack!"


	29. Caged

_Here's C, sorry I didn't update yesterday I just didn't have enough........... Inspiration for this yesterday. But here's C it's a Ace fic and it's more of brotherly protectivness and love then a couple pairing. Oh well. _

_Don't own One Piece if I did do you think that Luffy would of been hurt so mucj by Kuma's actions?....... Well he might of I guess cause I'm a little bit of a sadist. But that was sad! And I don't think I would of done that........_

**Caged**

Not many people knew this but Monkey D. Luffy and Portgas D. Ace were in fact brothers. Not true brothers through blood for Portgas D. Ace was the son of the late pirate king Gol D. Roger and Luffy was the son of the revolutionary leader Monkey D. Dragon. But they were brothers which is why Portgas D. Ace was now raving mad at his little brother for having broken into Impel Down to save him for in his mind he was the one who was supposed to protect and save, not Luffy, never Luffy. Luffy should never have to put his life on the line for him. His rage was also fueled by the fact that while his little brother broke into Impel Down and came out alive and with the additional help of some of the most dangerous and 'evil' pirates to sail the Grand Line, his little brothers break in was ill founded for he had been moved to Loguetown for his execution. So you can see why he was angry.

The thoughts that went through the commander of the second division of the White Beard Pirates ranged a bit following his different emotions to this eye-opener of the situation at hand. The very first thing to drift through the ensnared mans head was the very wonderful thought –well at least to him- was to beat his idiot little brothers head in for trying something so dangerous and reckless. With this thought was anger and burning rage at his brother's actions. Because _he was the older brother, he was supposed to protect Luffy. He was supposed to help his little brother out of the messes he made for himself not the other way around. _

The second thought that went through the captured fire users mind was that _Luffy _his _little brother _had broken _into_ the prison that no one had ever broken out of for _him _and that his little brother was now coming to Loguetown to save him from being killed. That it was his fault that Luffy had gone into that hellhole and that it was his fault that Luffy was coming to Loguetown where a certain marine captain named Smoker that had made it his goal to catch his little brother resided in. With that revelation guilt ran unchecked through him for it was _his _fault that Luffy was doing all these stupid things. It was _his_ fault if Luffy _got hurt_ or worse got himself _killed_.

But those thoughts were quickly dissipated because _Luffy_ was ok and not dead, and he was standing in front of him with that same childish grin he always bore and his nakama flanking him. "Hey Ace! Why are you here? You could have beaten these guys easily!" He returned his brothers grin because his little brother was here and he was unhurt. He was elated his little brother was ok. His little brother was here. His little brother was here for him……His little brother was staring at him now. He faintly heard one of his brother's nakama comment on the fact that he had sea stone cuffs on and that he was probably completely drained.

But he only faintly heard it because he had looked into his little brothers eyes and was now captivated. Different emotions flicked through his brothers ever expressive eyes the first one he could identify was worry, most likely caused by the condition he was in and the fact that he had spent so much time incarcerated. The next one he was able to pin was guilt. Why was Luffy feeling guilty? He had saved him, so why was his brother feeling this way? This was his fault so why was Luffy taking blame? When his eyes traveled to his brother's fisted hand he saw the biblicard that he had given to him. Ah, now he understood, the card was almost completely gone. "It's not your fault Lu." At his words his brother's eyes flashed show casing confusion before they mellowed to an acceptance. But the guilt wasn't completely gone yet and Luffy wasn't at fault, he needed to show him that. "Really Lu, it's not your fault." His brother's smile was gone and so was his nakama when he looked around he saw them talking a ways away form them.

"But it is Ace. I should have come sooner."

"No Lu, you had no way of knowing."

"Bu-"

"No Luffy. It's not your fault."

His brothers eyes were staring at him now, they held a look that many probably would never dream could or would show in them. It was a calculating gaze that was looking him over and searching in his own eyes for any traces of a lie. As his nakama started to drift back he nodded before smiling once more. "Alright Ace, but let's go! I'm hungry!" His little brother was alright now. He smiled as Chopper looked him over while Luffy sat next to him eating the meat he had pulled out of his pocket. Yes, everything was alright now Luffy was safe, he was ok.


	30. Daddy

_Well here's D. It took me most of the day to pick this word to, god I really need to wake up sooner._

_I don't own One Piece._

**  
Daddy**

"Daddy! Daddy!" A little girl not even of the age of eight ran to a sleeping green haired man with a giggle. You can probably guess who the green haired man is, he is in fact Roronoa Zoro; known as a demon, a former pirate hunter, the first mate to none other then the current pirate king Monkey D. Luffy, and husband to the same Monkey D. Luffy. "Daddy, wake up! Papa says that it's time to go." You may also question who the little girl that is bugging such a monster is, well she is the daughter of said monster and Pirate King Luffy.

"Hmm? Huh? Oh, alright I'm up." With a poorly hidden yawn the monster known as Roronoa Zoro got up and followed his daughter. Now Roronoa D. Mila as the Straw Hats had named her was adopted. It had happened not even seven years ago…..

_A cry was heard and ignored by all except by a straw hat wearing teen who after hearing the shrill sound continuously decided to investigate the 'mystery sound'. As the teen ran to find the sound different thoughts bombarded his confused mind some of the thoughts had to do with what was making the sound and others with food. "What?" The menace known as Monkey D. Luffy looked at the bundle of blankets that was the source of the 'mystery sound'. But how was a mere bunch of blankets crying? Not to be confused by the new 'mystery blankets' Luffy picked the crying bundle up…… And almost dropped it when a tiny foot popped out. "Nani? A foot?" The little foot wriggled once before the dark haired teen got over his surprise and poked it, which stopped the crying and started a barrage of small giggles. _

_As he continued to poke the little foot whatever was connected to it shifted because the blankets slid even further off showing a whole tiny leg…… A leg and a foot. A tiny leg and a tiny foot…….. So a tiny person? With those thoughts Luffy hurriedly unwrapped the giggling mass to find a baby…. Oh a baby. A BABY!?!?!_

Zoro looked down at the sleeping bundle of blankets that was his daughter. It had been six and a half years since his captain had brought the little purple haired baby to them in a panic shouting words at random……

_All was silent as the entire Straw Hat crew excluding their bouncy captain lazed around the ship enjoying the peace that came with Luffy being absent and Zoro sleeping. But the silence was not meant to last for the same bouncy captain that had been missing for at least three hours suddenly came running towards them shouting. "Nami! Robin! Help me! I followed a mystery sound which led me to mystery blankets then their was a mystery foot then a leg then, then THIS!" With those words Monkey D. Luffy did something that the Straw Hats never though would happen, he shoved a giggling infant towards the navigator and archeologist. _

_"Luffy? What the hell! Where did you find a baby?" At the distressed sound of Nami's voice the rest of the lazing Straw Hats gathered to see what their captain had done. "Luffy, where did you find this baby? And why do you have the baby in the first place?" At the thief's menacing tone the hyperactive teen quickly told her all he knew about the currently silent baby in the woman's arms. "Well…… It sounds like she was abandoned." _

_At her words her nakama froze, abandoned? Someone had left an innocent baby by itself? How could someone do that? While the others were still stuck in their thoughts Luffy stared at the precious bundle in Nami's arms with a tender look in his ever expressive eyes. "Your name will be Mila, and you'll be an official Straw Hat from now on." At Luffy's words Nami froze then looked at Luffy who was for once missing his usual child like grin and was instead smiling softly down at 'Mila' with affection. "That ok with you guys?"_

Monkey D. Luffy watched as his and Zoro's young daughter run away from Chopper and Ace while laughing and yelling that they'd never catch her. Had it been eight years since he had found that little bundle of blankets in the dark corner of an abandoned building? What would have happened to his daughter if he hadn't heard her cries? Would she even have survived? As if sensing his thought his first mate came up and gripped his hand in a comforting gesture. "We have her now, and we'll keep her safe." At Zoro's words he relaxed, yes they had her now and he would make sure she always had him or Zoro behind her. Because they were family now and he would protect his family.

**I got Mila's name from the word cherished, Mila actually means cherished in Croatian. Weird sort of cool right? And she has Zoro's last name because for some reason I always see Zoro as the seme and Luffy the uke in their relationship, and she needed to have part of their names to. So Roronoa D. Mila was made!**


	31. Engraved

_And here is E! it's a Luffy/Zoro so.....Yeah....  
__Don't own One Piece._

**Engraved**

Through history there are those names that will always stay engraved in people's minds and souls. Rather from doing tremendous deeds that helped millions or a cruel dictatorship that killed others in swarms. But some even evade those two main groups one of them is The Second Pirate King, Monkey D. Luffy. The captain of the monsters known as the Straw Hats each of them fit into their own places and are with their dangerous captain had been engraved into the very souls of people. Either striking unbridled fear or unexplained courage in the hearts of those that thinks on them.

Each one of the Straw Hats was known for different things; each one was remembered and revered for different reasons. But one was easily picked out of this group of monsters and was known as a demon, one that almost matched his captain in power. His name was Roronoa Zoro; he was also the man to take the title of world's best swordsman from the legendary Shichibukai, Juracule Mihawk also known as 'Hawk Eyes'. Roronoa was said to be the only man able to successfully come between his captain and his food; a staggering feet when said captain was the proud owner of a beat up straw hat.

But something not put into the text books that many would question was that Monkey D. Luffy the Pirate King and his first mate Roronoa Zoro the world's greatest swordsman were lovers. They had even settled down on an unknown island not far from where the Straw Hats had come to an end, they had settled near the legendary place where the Straw Hats went there own ways. Sure they all stayed in touch and were there for each other when needed but they no longer sailed under the same flag together.

One of the many things the Straw Hats were famous for though was when they all came together for 'play dates' for there children. This was also not in the text books but was known at the time far and wide that when the Straw Hats gathered with their kids it was best for you to evade that part of the ocean at all cost.

And on an island known as Loguetown a statue could be found. The statue was made expertly and many thought that it was the work of the legendary crew's shipwright. It was worked in sea stone and was what many thought an exact replica of the Straw Hats. The statue had been crafted to look like they were all on a hill looking out at something. Some say they were looking at their dreams coming true others say that they looked out at sea where they all found there peace.

The navigator of the small crew 'Burglar Cat' Nami held hands with the cook 'Black Leg' Sanji as 'Cotton Candy Lover' Chopper sat by their feet in a complete comfort. 'Sogeking' Usopp was shown rolling on the ground laughing with 'Dead Bones' Brook playing his trademark violin behind him. 'Devil Child' Robin was carved with a book in her hands as she stared with soft eyes at her crew while 'Cyborg' Franky was in his usual pose by her. But what surprised most about the statue was that 'Straw Hat' Luffy was sitting in the arms of a loving eyed 'Pirate Hunter' Zoro on a rock in the middle of the Straw Hats.

Many people theorized on the statue for the people that had not met the misfits known as the Straw Hats couldn't believe that the legendary crew said to be made up of monsters could ever look like that. But those that had met them all had different things to say about the statue.

"Eh? The little eggplant, what did he do this time?"

"That's our Aniki! We knew he'd be able to beat Hawk Eyes!"

"What about my idiot grandson and his crew? What? There's a statue of them in Loguetown? Since when?"

"There's a statue of captain in Loguetown? Well of course we knew he'd be able to make it, he's our captain!"

"A statue in Loguetown you say? Chopper's on it? Did that idiot keep him safe? If he didn't I'll slaughter him!"

"There's a statue of our Bro? Hahaha! Of course Big Brother Franky made it! Who else would be able to do something so good?"

"You hear that Laboon? Brook's still alive and he's doing fine. He's coming back for you."

"Eh? Nami's on a statue? Hey Nojiko!"

"Oh? Hm, seems Saul was right about her. Zzzzzz."

But the one thing that those that had met the Straw Hats mentioned was that it wasn't all that surprising that Luffy and Zoro were together they'd be surprised if they weren't.


	32. Fire

_Here's F, sorry it's so short though. It took me like an hour to pick a word. Sheesh much? _

_Don't own One Piece no matter how many stars I wish on._

**Fire**

People chose a variety of words to describe the D. brothers one of the most popular once you met both of them was polar opposites. For the older D. brother Ace was calm he was the water to his little brothers fire. Portgas D. Ace was polite, able to have a conversation without suddenly running off because he was hungry, and usually responsible; while his little brother Monkey D. Luffy was erratic, would run off at the mention of meat, and as irresponsible as a five year old.

Ace was water while Luffy was fire. For Ace could get Luffy to go to sleep or calm down when others failed.

_A thump could be heard followed by loud yelling, "Let go Shanks! I don't need to sleep, I'm not tired!" Another thump was heard before the door was pushed open to reveal a red haired pirate holding Luffy by the scruff of his shirt while the newly made rubber boy squirmed in his captors hold._

"_Ace, you handle him." With those words the red haired pirate dropped the still yelling boy onto a chair and ran out of the house while shouting. "He refuses to go to sleep, says he doesn't need it!"_

_Ace stared at his little brother who was by now pouting cutely. "Lu, you have to go to sleep, you need your rest." The rubbery child looked at his older brother before he started to slowly nod in acceptance._

_"Fine, but you have to stay with me Ace." _

_"Alright." When Shanks came back to the house he had previously ran from to see Luffy about training his devil fruit powers more he was met by the sight of both brothers curled up with each other sleeping._

When they heard people calling fire it was a thing that their friends thought funny when they heard this analogy, for Ace's devil fruit powers was the ability to control fire which wasn't that far off so some think. Many including Luffy's own crew believed Ace to be one of the few people to be able to reign in his little brother when he wanted.

So when the D. brothers were younger the village they lived at had come to a saying because of how they acted 'Where there's smoke theirs fire'. And this was usually true if you saw Ace somewhere you only had to stop and listen for a couple minutes to find Luffy.

_Makino smiled softly as she watched Ace once again face plant into his food. When would the boy learn if he didn't want these kind of things to happen then he needed to get at least seven hours of sleep a night? As he started to move towards Ace to cover him with a blanket and move his food from under his face she paused when a familiar voice came. "Ace, you fell asleep in your food again?" When no answer came the familiar voice chimed once again. "Fine sleep then, I'll just eat your food…."_

"_Luffy, get your hands off my food!" Makino laughed as she watched the brothers fight over the half eaten plate of food._

And now so many years later it seemed that what the villagers had said was true for standing next to his older brother livid Monkey D. Luffy was punching the man who had just seconds ago almost ended his older brother's life. "Make sure you don't kill him Lu."

"But Accccccce! He was going to kill you!"

"Just don't kill him Lu."

A pout appeared on the man's face who claimed he was going to find One Piece and become the next pirate king. "Fine." Yes, if Monkey D. Luffy was fire then his older brother Portgas D. Ace was water. "But your paying for the food later!"

"Deal."


	33. Godfather

_And here is G! Go me, I got this letter in before 11:00 at night! Yes!_

_Don't own One Piece........ *Sniffle*_

**Godfather**

"Wha-what?!?! You want me to what!" The infamous cook known as 'Black Leg' Sanji stared at his captain and the Marimo in honest to god astonishment. "Care to repeat that? Just one more time?"

Zoro the 'Pirate Hunter' sighed; really he was having a hard rime believing this as well. If it had been up to him then he would have picked a different person but Luffy had his heart set on Sanji. Something about how Franky would teach bad dressing habits, Brook as lovable as he was is a pervert even more so then Sanji, Shanks is way older then them, Ace would fall asleep at some point and everything would end in disaster, Chopper was to busy traveling with Robin that and he had already said no after some intense thinking on his part saying that Sanji would do better, and Usopp well……. Usopp was Usopp. So him and Luffy were stuck with Sanji, why they couldn't just skip this thing was still mystery to him.

"For the last time Ero Cook, we want you to be the godfather." This was just too much work. No one had told him that this was going to be so hard……. But then again if someone had told him that he and Luffy would find a kid and adopt then have to pick out godparents then he would have decked them immediately.

"Bu-but! Why me damn it! I don't know anything about kids!" Yes why him was a question Zoro had recently found himself asking quite frequently. "Why not one of the others!?!?!"

"We already thought of everyone else Sanji and you're the most suited. Besides Nami said out of everyone you'd be a good choice, Robin agreed as well. Something about how your responsible and stuff when you want to be and stop drooling over girls."

Zoro chuckled lightly at Sanji's face when Luffy mentioned Nami and Robin, the idiot would probably be forever a pervert but at least he wasn't as bad as Brook. "And just what's so funny Marimo?"

At the familiar…… Well he wouldn't call it an insult because it was more of an endearment as Luffy had pointed out once when they were fighting with each other, his words had stopped there fighting immediately and they had stared at each other in disgust that there fights had become so……. Predictable, they'd shout insults at each then things would get physical for a little while before Nami got annoyed with the noise level and hit them on their heads and told them to shut up. But at the familiar name Zoro smirked before retaliating. "Your face stupid Ero Cook."

Ten minutes later and they were still throwing insults at each other at rapid speed. "Curly browed flirt!"

And with those words a domino effect was started. The sleeping child in Luffy's arms woke up and started to cry, then Zoro rushed over to his rubbery love to try to get their kid to hush and go back to sleep, which caused Sanji to laugh at him, which started another bout of name calling between the two men, which ended with Luffy finally having enough and clocking them both over their heads with a menacing voice, "Both of you shut up and sit down or I'll make you cry. You got me?"

With a nod both men sat down quickly and waited for their captain to leave. "Since when did Luffy make threats?" A hurried whisper from the blond cook.

"Since we found the kid, he's been really on edge lately." Zoro answered in a equally hurried whisper all the while contemplating what he had said. It was the truth Luffy had gotten less childish as they continued to care for the kid, he had gotten really bad when some marines had found them and had tried to take the kid away from them.

"Ah, I see."

"Yeah."

When Luffy came out onto the deck again it was without a crying child and a very serious look. "So, will you be the godfather Sanji?"

The cook blinked at his captain, he had never seen his captain so serious out of battle it was slightly strange. "Why me?" Sanji just had to ask, he knew that he wasn't the most responsible person in the world and what Luffy and Zoro were doing was big. If something happened to them -and there was a chance something would with both of them having such high bounties- then he'd have to take care of the kid. He wasn't any good with kids!

Luffy lightly hummed for a moment before staring at Sanji straight on. "Because I- we believe that you'll be able to raise her without many problems, you did settle down and start your own restaurant and I heard the marines have pardoned you for saving a vice admirals life. Chopper's traveling a lot lately and we couldn't ask him to stop doing what he loves…… And the others just aren't attentive enough for my liking. I know Shanks and Ace could do it but Ace has a bounty as well and Shanks is older then all of us, well except Brook and I couldn't ask him to take care of a kid when he's a Youkou."

Sanji stared at his captain somberly then sighed and pulled a hand through his blonde hair. "Alright then, I'll be the brat's godfather."

With those words Luffy smiled his usual happy child like grin. "Wooh! Thanks Sanji. That's a load of you know? By the way….. Could you make me some food? I'm starving."


	34. Home

_And here is H! Alright while I was writing this letter I was listening to Evanescence this whole time (I need either music or complete silence to write. It's annoying.) and I have to say this. I love them! I don't really like some of thenewer music now a days though....... It's just sort of all the same stuff you know? At least the stuff my friends make me listen to. They have a very select music likeage (Is this even a word?) they like Pop, that wimpy Rock, Hip Hop, and some Rap. Me? Not so much. I like stuff like Escape the Fate, Epica, Johny Hollow, and of course Evanescence. One of them thinks I listen to qoute 'creepy music' unquote._

_Don't own One Piece...... Like DUH!_

**Home**

They say that home is where the heart is, if that saying is indeed true then Monkey D. Luffy's home has traveled all over the world for the last three years. He didn't know everywhere his heart and home went and he probably never would. Luffy's home was with the one he had given his heart to, and because of that his home had moved and shifted to places he may never go to himself. For the keeper of his heart was like him, they both loved the sea with a passion they both had a driving goal Luffy's was to find great adventures with his nakama while his hearts master's was to get a debt owed by a back stabbing nakama.

Luffy had long ago just a bit after Shanks had left Fuschia Village given his chosen his heart, he had given it freely knowing even in his tender age what he was doing. He was giving someone precious to him the very thing that ruled over everything else to him, because his heart was the thing that when his mind was in turmoil found the right answer to the question. His heart ruled and by giving his heart he gave someone the power to rule over him. He trusted that person not to break it, to cherish for what it was. For his heart was the very core of his being. And he believed with his everything that he had made the right chose. He was sure that the person he had picked out wouldn't abuse it, wouldn't use it against him. He had utter trust that the person he had chosen could protect that delicate part of him that was so easy so very easy to break.

If what the people said was true then Portgas D. Ace had left his home in Fuschia Village when he was seventeen, and his home had stayed in Fuschia Village for three more years under a promise, but then the keeper of his heart started his own journey, finding his own path in the world. His heart had been taken to the apparently not so mythical island in the clouds, Skypiea. It had traveled to an island filled with Amazonians led by one of the Shichibukai, it had with the one he had entrusted it with went though Enies Lobby the Judicial Island to save a nakama and it had dived into Impel Down.

His hearts owner was so reckless sometimes; he could only hope that his hearts keeper's nakama could keep him out of trouble, or at least life o death situations. But he knew that was an ill founded hope because the person he had given his heart to was reckless; at least when it came to protecting the ones he loved. But even with his reckless streak Ace knew that the one he had given his heart to would protect that part of him, with his very life it seemed if he thought of the Impel Down incident and the Loguetown execution thing.

Yes, Monkey D. Luffy and Portgas D. Ace's hearts and homes moved a bit for both were owned by infamous pirates; Luffy's by the one named 'Fire Fist' and Ace's by a certain 'Straw Hat'. Because of their decisions they admitted that they had sort of set themselves up for hurt because as said before both were infamous pirates with bounties, bounties that would make people want to hurt or kill them for those bounties. As demonstrated by both in different times, Ace by Blackbeard and Luffy by a whole city of hunters bent on having his and Zoro's heads. But they didn't care because they were in love and nothing else mattered. Well except maybe food….


	35. Imperfect

_Wow, I'm so sorry for not updating this story in so long, I totally broke my promise to update everyday. But school started up again and my sleeping rotaion was messed up, violently. So I didn't get enough sleep so my brain turned to mush and all my creativity and will power to work on this drained out of the crack right behind my left ear sort of near my temple. And I kept thinking that those creepy mutant things in the Descent were going to jump out at me when my back was turned so I've been a bit paranoid, and I chalk that one up to the crack that's leaking out my common sense. If your wondering the crack is about an inch above my spine. If you've never seen the Descent so you have no clue what I'm rambling about, go watch it it's sort of scary. _

_I don't think I need to put this anymore but what the hey! I don't own One Piece!_

**Imperfect**

Portgas D. Ace was what many would call a mild tempered and well mannered young man except for the minor fact that he was indeed a pirate, not just any pirate mind you, for he was the commander of the second division of the Whitebeard Pirates who's captain was said to be the only one who could ever stand a chance against the late but still legendary pirate king Gol D. Roger or as he was better known Gold Roger. But ignoring that fact Ace was as close to 'perfect' as a person on this chaos filled earth would allow. He was kind to many, trustworthy, loyal, and not to say quite influential in this dismayed world, the perfect man in many a mother's eyes for their daughters. He was even the idol to some boys who dreamed of a life of adventure and glory.

But a fact that many didn't know, a fact that would have those hopeful mothers breaking down in tears with dismayed expressions, a fact that would have a negative effect to some of those boys who idolized and a positive to others was that he was already taken. Yes, he was already spoken for and by someone that many feared to cross.

For the one he was with had a gentle nature, that is until someone tried to take those who were precious, and without a doubt Ace was a precious person, a person who was to be revered as a god like figure in some ways. The mystery figure that many a women cursed for taking Ace was powerful, so powerful that the women who strove after Ace the hardest, who would do anything to prove to Ace that they were worthy of standing next to him would most likely quiver in fear of the name then take a look of shocked horror; for they had with the pursuing of Ace almost signed their own death warrants.

For the person Ace was attached too was a legend in his own rights. For he had done many a thing that others deemed impossible, he had broken into Impel Down and had come out dragging with him some of the most dangerous criminals of their age, he had had a hand in the destruction of Enies Lobby, he had survived a Buster Call, he had attacked a Celestial Dragon, he had defeated a Shichibukai, and for all he had done he was only a 'rookie'. Yes, Ace was 'with' his little brother, the captain of the growing menace known as the Straw Hats, Monkey D. Luffy.

And just like that, just with that one relationship Ace was no longer 'perfect', he was far from it. He was cracked, flawed, shattered, tainted, he was imperfect. Those that looked at him in awe turned away in scorn and disgust. The mothers that wanted their daughters to wed with him scoffed at him and made cruel comments about how he could never be good enough for their perfect daughters. The women that had flocked to him stared and sniffed with disdain at him in revulsion for the fact that he was in love with his brother. The boys that idolized him now portrayed him as a villain, a mockery, someone that they could use as an insult to each other.

But Portgas D. Ace in all his flaws didn't care what they thought because he had the thing that made him imperfect to all of them, he had his little brother Luffy and that's all he needed in this giant power game called life. And so Ace excepted being imperfect with perfect grace.


	36. Jailer

_I've been terrible haven't I? I haven't updated this story in a while. Wah! Gomen, Gomen! I'm so sorry! To make it up to you I added a little something something at the end of this letter! It's a blast from the past!_

_Disclaimer: ...........Don't own One Piece......._

**Jailer**

Roronoa Zoro was what many people called a 'ass', or a 'bastard', and a 'demon' was thrown into the mixture at one point, but what he never expected to be was caught. You read right, the legendary Roronoa Zoro known for bringing in the bounties of more then a thousand wanted men most of them being fey that had gone rouge from there court had been captured. And the way he was captured wasn't normal in the least, or maybe it was. He didn't know nor did he really give a damn. All he knew was that he was caught captured imprisoned whatever the hell you call it; all he knew or gave a dame about was that he was stuck, and he did not enjoy being stuck. Especially when a stupid smiling fey wearing a straw hat was grinning down at him.

You see, Roronoa Zoro had been minding his own business when it happened….

_The birds chattered gaily in the trees above as the squirrels frolicked happily while collecting their nuts to store for winter and the cute little bunny rabbits hopped along so cheerfully. Well all the happy feeling rushed out of the bright sunny day like water from a canteen with a hole in it as soon as the haunting aura of one Roronoa Zoro entered the pretty little forest. And then the haunting aura passed as a very confused and fury injected aura replaced it. "What the hell! Why can't I find the damn way out of this crappy place?!?! Fuck!"_

_The birds twittered under their little birdie breathes affronted as they put their wings on top of their eggs to hopefully block out the foul ones words as not to taint their innocent not quite born children. The squirrels contemplated throwing their much needed nuts at the intruder who was making this so very blessed day not so blessed, and the rabbits, the dear, dear sweet rabbits eyes flashed dangerously as they quietly plotted with the oh so cute twitches of their noses ways to kill or at least maim the horrible man that had dared to disturb the peaceful forest on that day of all days! The day when their ever beloved Monkey D. Luffy was finally returning to them!_

_Monkey D. Luffy you see is a very important person, a very important person indeed. He is the fey that brings all the good things in life to flourishing, he brings spring and with it the promise of new life and the dazzling shine of the sun ready to warm everything to blooming. He's a protector that will not allow what he thinks as under his protection be harmed in any way. He blesses all the newly born little ones with his mark so all know that they are his and that if they are hurt then he will hurt the transgressor._

_And this, this ruffian was ruining the glorious day that he was finally coming home from being away at his older brother Ace's court! Ah, did we forget to mention? Ace his older brother is the King of the Summer court, while Kidd is the King of the Dark Court, Chopper is the King of the Winter Court, and Luffy himself is the King of the High Court. But not many people actually know that Luffy is in control of the High Court because he's usually here in the forest with them leaving Nami in control, so that the other fey excluding the people closest to the other monarchs think that Nami is the Queen of the High Court and Luffy's well…… Just another face in the crowd, which they really shouldn't because with that passing thought that Luffy really isn't important they're horribly mean and show their true colors. The colors that they hide when talking to someone with the kind of power that Luffy has, but maybe that's why Luffy does what he does so he knows the true fey, not the careful mask made to make 'friends in high places'._

_But back to the point! The riffraff of a human, a fey killing human was disturbing the preparations of Luffy's return! And that would just not do, so the rabbit's with their twitching noses used their tactical skills to figure out how to trap the idiot human so they could all get back to preparing for Luffy to come back. And they did set up a trap and the trap did work, the sad part is that all they did was dig a hole and then cover it with leaves. Yes, very sad indeed._

_So when the King of the High Court Monkey D. Luffy showed up he instead of finding his adorable friends in the woods being happy and waiting in anticipation of his arrival he found his adorable friends being tense and waiting in anticipation for his arrival. "Uh….. Nani? Why is there a human in hole?"_

"_Brat! Get me out of here now!" The 'brat' stared down at the green haired man that had been trapped by the rabbits in confusion, before ever so slowly a grin split his face._

"……_..So…..What'd you do to get them so upset?"_

And that is how Roronoa Zoro got captured. And now he was left stuck in a hole, in the ground, with an idiot fey with a stupid grin on his face looking down at him. "Brat, I was talking to you, get me the hell out of here." The green haired fey hunter wasn't about to answer the stupid question on who'd he upset; there wasn't anyone to upset in the first place!

Zoro stared up at Luffy, and kept staring, and kept staring…… "Nani?" Luffy tilted his head to the side in apparent confusion, the hell he was confused but the human didn't know that and this was entertaining to say the least. "How'd you get down there?...... Did you make the rabbits mad? Because they do this sometimes….. Although the last person they did it to was Sanji, and that was because he was hitting on Robin and they like Robin so…… What did you do to make them so mad?" Zoro just continued to stare, really was this fey mental? Like hell it was the rabbits that dug the stupid hole, the stupid rodents probably couldn't tell there left from their right. So he decided to ignore the stupid comment coming from the Baka fey. "So?" And still staring and silence met the King of the High Court. "Ara! You're not going to tell me? Fine then, I won't let you out until you tell me what you did to make the rabbits mad at you!"

And with those words Luffy left to take a nap. But not without one little comment. "Your kinda cute by the way, well ja ne for now!" And with that the straw hat wearing King ran off to take a nap.

#~#~#~#

_And here is the little something something I've decided to give you all to in my way beg for forgiveness for my forgetfulness! For you kids it's….. Kidd! So please forgive me, PLEASE!_

_Disclaimer (Again): Tell the truth I don't think I have to put this here but oh well! Me no owns the wonderfulness that is One Piece, and yes One Piece is wonderful. If you don't think it is then **pis****s off you whiney little runt! ***Cough* *Clears throat* Excuse my language, only Zoro and Kidd have the right to talk like that._

**Bounties**

Captain Eustass Kidd the captain of you guessed it the Kidd Pirate crew had long ago forgone believing the press, because really people the Marines and the Government controlled all of that shit. And of course the Marines would print out lies about the so called 'criminals' or as this day and age called them pirates. So when he had first read the paper and saw that the idiots who controlled said paper had printed that the Straw-Hat pirate crew had single handedly destroyed Enies Lobby he had merely thrown the paper where it belonged, in the trash. But imagine his surprise when not three days later he was flipping through that lying drivel and came across the captain's of the so called pirate crew that had 'destroyed' the Judicial Island bounty poster. It was 300,000,000 belli! A mere 15 million less then his! Kidd couldn't believe it, this….. Goofy naïve looking kid with that overly happy smile was worth 300,000,000 belli? When he flipped to the next poster it showed the first mate 'Pirate Hunter Zoro' of the Straw-Hats with a bounty of 120,000,000 belli. What. The. Hell?!?!? What was going on? When Kidd continued flipping he was met with even more bounties for people from the Straw-Hats. So Kidd did the only rational thing a person would do in his case he sat and read what the paper actually said and when he did he had a whole new opinion of 'Straw-Hat'. He was a reckless crazy idiot, who had a cute smile.


	37. Kiss

_Here's K for you all, sorry it took so long but I think this one makes up for how long it took, it's huge compared to my others in this story! _

_Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, if I did then...... You know I don't think I'd change anything now that I think about it! One Piece is just that good, it's THE bomb people! Not just a bomb but it's THE bomb!_

**Kiss**

Monkey D. Luffy and Portgas D. Ace were many things; brothers, best friends, pirates, lovers, legends. Over the years they added each of these at a time some closer to others and some over a span of years in the making but each had something in common with each other, a kiss.

_Brothers: _

A young Monkey D. Luffy would admit to being a lot of things a goofball, a kid, a freak, and the like but what he refused to be called was a baby especially by Big Brother Ace. So when a young Monkey D. Luffy gets beaten up by the jerks of the village because he's a freak or a monster he doesn't tell Big Brother Ace nor does he complain about the fact that he may very well have a broken bone in his wrist from where one of the biggest jerks stepped on his hand and with it his wrist to see 'how well the little Freaks bones withstood pressure' and if 'the Monsters bones was rubber as well'. All he does instead is let out the occasional whimper here or there, nothing to big for he mustn't let Big Brother Ace find out you see.

So when Big Brother Ace finally does notice that a young Luffy isn't acting like his usually hyper hoppy self a young Luffy shies away from his big brother's questioning eyes and concerned questions. "Lu, you okay?" A quick nod of a straw hat covered head was the silent answer. "Lu, are you sure?" Another quick and silent nod, "Lu, look at me please." A shake of the head, "Monkey D. Luffy, look at me." With the stern voice a reluctant glance upwards showing eyes filled with the slightest pain. "Lu, what's wrong?" a quick flash of a now purple and blue wrist from where it was previously hidden and then a sharp intake of breath much like a gasp from the elder D. brother.

The elder D. brother looked down at his little brothers' wrist in worry; it looked like Luffy had been hiding it for at least a day maybe more. "Was it them again?" A look was shot in the deafening silence that answered. Some quick probes here and there on the tender wrist with a few whimpers and winces before a little smile of encouragement was flashed. "Alright Lu hold still I'm going to put it in a sprint ok?" A nod then a crack as the broken wrist was once again put into its rightful place with a yelp of pain. An almost non existent sniffle, "There, you ok now Luffy?" Another nod this one more lively then the previous ones. "Oh, before I forget." A gentle smile then a touching of lips on the bandaged wrist, "There, all better!" A full fledged smile from the younger D.

"Yeah, thanks Ace!" A smile and than a yawn and than the rubbery boy dubbed as a monster was asleep.

_Best Friends:_

Portgas D. Ace was having a strange day, you see he had been walking by Makino's bar with the thought to find his little brother and best friend Monkey D. Luffy when he had spotted Luffy's long time idol Red Hair Shanks in the bar that he was about to pass, now seeing Shanks wasn't that strange, he had heard from Luffy that the red haired pirate had come for a visit you see. But no the weird part was that Shanks was doing something weird to Makino, there faces were really close together and when he asked them what they were doing Makino had turned a pink almost red color before going shifty eyed and running off yelling that she had to go back to work. Shanks had stayed though so Ace had asked him what they were doing, and had gotten the answer that they had been kissing.

When Ace had questioned what kissing was, you must realize that Ace was at the tender age of thirteen…. Alright maybe not so tender but no one had bothered to give him or Luffy sex education. Makino had tried but had gotten flustered with the boys oblivious questions, Garp had sort of tried. He had pointed to a women while both Ace and Luffy were with him when he went shopping and started to list the different things that could be done to her, he hadn't gotten to far before he fell asleep and Luffy and Ace had run off to see all the shiny baubles at the market. And Ace had some friends in the village he just didn't really play with them as much as he did with Luffy, because well Luffy was his brother and best friend so why would he need anyone else to play with?

So with all those things compiling together we get a thirteen year old by the name of Portgas D. Ace who had no knowledge of what a simple kiss was. And Shanks Red Hair was in no way unwilling to answer Ace's question but decided to use a….. Cleaned up version of what he was going to say for the main reason that Makino was staring at him from behind the bar counter and he was sure that if he said anything indecent then he wouldn't be getting anything soon. So he simply explained to the still confused on what kissing was boy, that kissing was what you did with someone who was really special to you, and so with that new definition Portgas D. Ace was gone in a flash to share his new knowledge with Luffy.

And with the thought of Luffy Ace froze, Shanks had said that a kiss was something you shared with someone special…. And Luffy was special, so did that mean that he should kiss Luffy? Luffy was his little brother and his best friend so that did make him special, that made him very special so should he kiss Luffy then? With that logic running through his head Ace made his way back to a house not far from the village that he, Luffy, and on occasion Garp lived in.

"Luffy? Luffy, where are you? Hey Luuuuuu!" A crash resounded through the previously silent house followed by the sound of a poorly muffled curse leaving Ace wondering where Luffy had heard such a word then coming to the conclusion that it was probably from one of Shanks nakama when they were drunk.

"Ace! Where have you been?" And his little brother or best friend was in front of him with sleep tussled hair and a slight drowsiness in his eyes were left over from the nap that he had just awoken from.

"I learned something from Shanks today, you want to try it?" An enthusiastic nod came from Luffy because anything Shanks taught them was a good thing that needed to be tried out immediately. "Alright, hold still then Lu." And with those hushed words the younger D. brother froze and waited to see what his best friend would do. Ace looked at Luffy for a moment before pressing there lips together; a spark, a tingle, and a sense of belonging washed over both before Ace pulled back slightly while still looking at Luffy, "Guess I know why Shanks likes kissing so much."

It would be six months until Ace and Luffy found out the true definition of what kissing was and who it was supposed to be done with, one of which was not included was your brother, so they chose to ignore the spark, the tingle, and the sense of belonging. And for a time Ace wished that they were merely best friends instead of brothers also.

_Pirates:_

Portgas D. Ace was in a conundrum of a sort. He was a pirate, and pirates were more or less a rowdier thief, and thieves stole things, they stole things that they wanted. Pirates also didn't follow the rules and ignored a majority of laws, in fact some went out of there way to break as many laws or rules as they could. So, following that logic he should be allowed to have what he wanted even if it was against the law even if he had to cross some lines made by some rules. And if his logic was correct then he should be able to take and keep whatever he wanted to, but did that include Luffy?

Luffy was a pirate as well so all the same principles applied to him, so did Luffy's same principles cancel out his? Also, Luffy was his little brother; he was supposed to protect Luffy. He was supposed to shelter Luffy from all the things that would hurt him, and Ace was almost positive that what he wanted would end up hurting Luffy in some way.

So the problem was to embrace the pirate side or to give into the big brother role that he _should_ be constricted to.

Ace's problem was solved by something that many a man swore to and many a women thought was a pointless thing; sake. Yes, Ace got drunk he didn't mean to especially with Luffy around. Luffy, his little brother, his best friend, a fellow pirate, and the one who had been causing his mind to go in circles for the past year or so; so when he did become intoxicated his less then rational self thought 'hey, why not? Luffy's here, I'm a pirate, pirates take what they want regardless of the rules and restrictions, Luffy's a pirate he'll understand.'

And with those drunken thoughts drifting in his mind Ace snuck up to where Chopper had put his little brother to heal after the Straw Hats latest brawl with an admiral. With careful silent steps Ace slunk into the dimly lit room and immediately spotted his sleeping brother. Luffy was for once silent, he was lying on his side facing the door with bandages wrapped around his torso. A small smile was dancing on his lips. With deliberately chosen steps Ace crept over to where Luffy was with a slight smile he bent down and placed his lips on the still dead to the world Luffy before pulling back with a bigger smile because, Luffy was pirate, he would understand. As pirates it was okay for them to steal, even if it was kisses from each other.

_Lovers:_

No one could say that the Straw Hats didn't have selective hearing after spending a night with the crew when Portgas D. Ace was present. Everyone on Thousand Sunny could hear the two brothers, whether they wanted to or not. All of them had tried different methods to drown out the sounds of their captains moans late at night.

Nami at first hadn't minded that much because well, she thought that the two best friends were so cute together. Zoro had attempted to just sleep through the nights that Ace would come to visit, unfortunately that didn't work well when the part of Thousand Sunny that the two were residing in burst into flame from Ace losing control of his powers in the heat of the moment, Zoro had been awoken by the smell of smoke and the rather loud screaming of Nami that the two idiots had better find a place that wouldn't catch on fire if they were going to continue their time together, they had found a place, it was a fire proof room next to the room that Zoro called his own. Chopper had found that earplugs did wonders; that is until the rest of the Straw Hats started to steal them causing a mild fight to break out over the earplugs only for them to go over board when Zoro tripped Sanji who had the wonderful inventions in his possession at the time.

Franky had tried working on the ship at night, using his loudest drills and such while he was working, that had stopped after an enraged Nami had tracked him down and told him that she was trying to listen to the tw- ummm sleep. Sanji had simply tried to distract the two for the nights that Ace was present by making food as fast as Luffy and Ace could shovel it down, needless to say that failed because eventually and amazingly the two got full then would leave to do that he had tried to stop, but they'd be louder for some god awful reason, he chalked it up as they both had more energy. Brook handled the twos meeting by playing his violin as loud as he could throughout the night, the violin didn't have a loud enough note to completely drown out the two during there more releasing moments. Usopp coped by loudly going through all the adventures that he had made up in his head, it didn't help much.

Robins approach was the one that they all adopted in time; she simply ignored the sounds that could be heard from the fire proof room.

Although even her way of handling the situation was hard to follow when the Straw Hats on occasion would come across Luffy pinned against a wall by Ace as the two participated in a heavy make out session that hadn't quite made it to the fire proof room. On those nights the Straw Hats would clear they're throats near the two who would ignore them for the first three throat clearings before a dazed Luffy would notice his nakama and blush before getting up and grabbing Ace then darting to the room they shared.

_ Legends:_

A creak of a chair was barely heard over the loud laughing and yelling that filled the modest bar located in the one and only Lougetown the town Of The Beginning And The End. The old bartender stood with the slightest of a wobble giving away the age of the still rather young looking women. As all of the still rowdy pirates in the bar saw the women rise they all fell into a silence. _This _was why they were all their. _This _was what they had all called a temporary truce to hear. _This _was the thing they had all waited for, for over ten days pirates all over the globe had come to Lougetown which had allowed this mass gathering because of its year's long tradition.

Today and only on this day would the old bartender named Makino tell the true story of the second Pirate King Monkey D. Luffy and his brother Fire Fist Ace. For this day was special, far more special then some could cope with to the old women who had traveled all the way from Fuschia to tell the tale of the brothers. Today was the day that the two and their respective crews vanished off the face of the earth. Leaving behind so many grand tales of adventure, sad stories filled with heart wrenching plots, and rumors filled with the promise of treasure. But it was finally time for those who were new to the tradition to hear the truth and those from old got another taste of something that they called pure gold; for it was the _truth _it was the true story of the two brothers.

The true story that would only be told once every decade as a homage to the brothers that had disappeared fifty years ago, a brittle voice that held within it a power that was able to ensnare the listener came from the old bar keeper, "You have all heard the names Monkey D. Luffy and Portgas D. Ace. You all know what they were famous for, being the one to finally find One Piece being the famed and revered Fire Fist but none of you knew these two boys like I did. They were sweet things as children; Ace was the more relaxed one he kept Luffy at of trouble while Luffy was the one who would run of at a moments notice." The assembled pirates listened silently as the old bartender told the story of two of the most famous pirates in history.

"The day that Luffy finally found One Piece was a mixed thing, Luffy had finally completed his life long dream and long the way he had helped his nakama complete theirs, but they had something he didn't they had all found someone special to be with through their travels. And Luffy would be damned if he kept his friends away from their happiness, so the Straws Hats were disbanded and Luffy wandered on his own going back and visiting those they had met along the way to fulfilling their hopes." A tense silence drifted into the room as Makino unraveled more and more of her story, how Ace had found Luffy at the very town they were all in about to turn himself in to the marines like the previous Pirate King before him had. How Fire Fist had dragged his younger brother and made him see sense and finally how the two spent their last years together visiting their scattered crews.

"On the day they disappeared Luffy and Ace was seen in this very town walking down the street with smiles on their faces, secretive smiles, as if they were plotting their next great adventure together and just passing through the town of the Beginning and the End as a memorial of a sort before they set off. They left a message you know, a riddle of sorts that only those who live the same way they did can figure out.

'_The greatest treasure in the world,_

_Can't be counted with silver and pearls._

_It's something found in so very few,_

_But those who do,_

_They know the fee._

_They know that it can conquer all those with greed._

_It can make you fly,_

_It can bring you down,_

_It can very well beat you to the ground._

_But in the end if it's the truth,_

_Then you'll be gifted all your life,_

_And be free from grief and strife.'_

Those were the words that the two carved into the execution platform that is so very famous; it's a poem that the two found years ago you know." And with those words Makino took her leave as the pirates that were gathered thought over the children's poem that the brothers had carved into the very place that the first pirate king had died at, and as she left the once again loud bar Makino could swear she saw Ace and Luffy in the crowd waving with smiles on their faces before they met in a kiss. But the vision was gone as soon as she saw it, but this was the reason she came here every decade to tell their story. When she did she could see them again, see them as they left Fuchsia for the last time, and see the last thing that she would witness of the two in person; them smiling and waving before meeting for a tender kiss as they vanished from sight.


	38. Lucky

_And here is L, gomen for taking so long to update but it's been chaotic with tests right before break and the end of the Tri-mester. _

_Disclaimer: I. Do. NOT. Own. One. Piece! So stop bloody rubbing it in you jerks!_

**Lucky**

Nico Robin was really starting to wonder what had happened to create such a mess. Luffy and a half naked Zoro were caught by Chopper and Usopp making out in a closet, Nami was caught spying on the two, Sanji was found knocked out in a separate closet half way across the ship, and Franky was discovered tied up in the tea room with a calm Brook sitting on him sipping his tea peacefully and every so often tapping Franky's forehead with his heel while humming Bink's Sake. She really did wonder how this all mayhem started and then when she thinks she comes to the conclusion that it was _that_ games fault that her nakama were acting this way. The game was Strip Poker and the Straw Hats had played it merely two hours in advance to all the chaos that Robin now found herself witnessing.

It was a peaceful night. All was calm and the water was just gently rippling, enough to keep them moving at a decent pace but safe enough that no one had to watch out for anything in the sea. They were at a an area where Sea Kings for some reason didn't come and Nami had predicted the weather for the next four days, sunny and calm for two of them then on the third it would start to get rougher and on the fourth a storm would hit. But yes, since they didn't really have to do anything Nami suggested that they play a game, and not just any game but Poker. And most of the crew refused to play Poker with Nami if they were using money so Sanji along with Brook suggested that they play Strip Poker……. And well after some beatings from Nami for suggesting the idea, innocent questions from Chopper on how you play 'Strip Poker', outrageous answers from Usopp, and a happy yell from Luffy that they'd all play brought them to the real start of all the disorder.

And then the game started and that's where Robin would guess that everything really started moving along. Chopper and Franky were already out of the game in four hands accounting to their lack of clothing to begin with, and the fact that Chopper was just too innocent to play the game correctly and Franky didn't have a Poker face to speak of. Next to go was Robin herself and Usopp. Robin just gave up and stopped playing after she lost her shoes to the disappointment of Sanji and Usopp was called on his bluffs one to many times.

The five remaining players were to be expected to a point. Nami because Poker was a way to make money, a underhanded, cunning way, the kind of thing that you expected Nami to excel at so far she had lost her left shoe and the hair tie she had previously been using. Brook was also to be expected because of how long he had lived, so he had a lot more experience then the others and a pretty good Poker face to boot throughout the game he'd lost his hat, cane, and his right shoe. Sanji wasn't that big of a surprise, he was the one to suggest Strip Poker and attempt to explain to Chopper how you played so he had to know something, but even with his knowledge he had lost his shoes, his socks , his coat, and his vest. Zoro was a little bit of a surprise, but only slightly if you thought about it, Zoro was mainly playing to bet and embarrass Sanji, and so far he had lost his shoes, two of his earrings, his shirt, and his bandanna. Now Luffy still being in the game was what surprised everyone. With how Luffy was the Straw-Hats that knew the game and knew how to play it had thought that the rubbery boy that was their captain would of lost immediately but it was not so. In fact Luffy had yet to lose any of his clothing making Nami and the others wonder how their captain had become such a card shark.

A couple hands later along with a few mugs of sake found Zoro losing his last earring, Sanji taking off his tie and shirt, Nami removing her other shoe, Brook bailing out of the game when he got down to only his shirt and pants, and Luffy taking off one of his sandals. By this time the four players left all had serious faces on…. Well except for Luffy who had his ever present smile in place. And one by one each was taken down.

First to go was Nami…

A smile from the rubbery teen, "Call."

"Full House Luffy! Let's see you beat that!" Nami's grin split her face as she slammed the cards down onto the table.

"Ara? Alright then, Royal Flush." And with that Nami was down to her shorts and tank top.

"I impede! I'm dropping out!" A frown and a loud protest from Sanji only to be hit in the face by Nami, "Shut up you pervert! I am not going to let you people see me naked!"

Second was Sanji……

"Go to hell Moss Head! You had to have cheated! There is no way in hell that you could have gotten a better hand then me!"

"Tough Luck Ero Cook because I did and you lost so you're out of the game." A smirk, "I win."

"The hell you win! I still have clothes, so I'm still in!" And it was true Sanji still had his pants and underwear on.

"Sanji, you're done playing." And with those words Sanji swooned and dropped the cards he had previously been holding to go baby and fawn over Nami.

"Che, baka."

Until finally it was down to Luffy and Zoro……

"Na? Zoro?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm bored, this isn't fun anymore!!!" Zoro looked up quickly and found that yes; Luffy looked extremely bored and was by now tying his fingers together to entertain himself.

"So?"

"I want to do something else."

"Luffy! You have to finish the game baka, just win the next hand and you can leave." And what Nami said was true, Zoro was down to the point where everyone had been disqualified or else they'd be completely naked the next hand. A swift sweep of the room showed that Brook and Franky had disappeared to somewhere, Sanji was in the kitchen, Chopper and Usopp had fallen asleep, and Nami and Robin were watching the game closely.

"Na.... Fine." Luffy waited with a pout on his face while Zoro laid his cards down on the table, three of a kind. "I win Zoro." And indeed Luffy did as he laid down his own cards showing he had a flush. "Let's go play a different game Zoro!" And with that Luffy and Zoro were gone.

A few minutes later some yelling could be herd before a crash then silence, the abrupt silence caused Chopper and Usopp who had woke up during the crash to go investigate and Nami to disappear leaving Robin by herself.

Now when Robin finally decided to go and see what her fellow Straw Hats were doing and found them all in the situations that were previously puzzled over she blinked once then asked how everything happened.

Apparently Franky had made Brook mad somehow causing the boney musician to tie him up and sit on him, Nami was a closet perv, Sanji had walked in on Luffy in Zoro in the closet he was found in causing Zoro to knock him out and migrate himself and Luffy to a new closet to continue where they left off, Chopper and Usopp had found them when Robin had gone to look for everyone else, and Luffy and Zoro were trying to find some privacy.


	39. Mask and Mad World

_This here is my late Christmas present to you guys, sorry I wanted to upload this right on Christmas but I'vev been at my Grandparents and they do not have the wonderful thing that is the Internet at their place! _

_Dislcaimer: I don't own One Piece, or the song that's used in this chapter which is by the way Mad World by Gary Nelson_

_AN: Mask is a Ace Luffy centered fic and Mad World is a Zoro Luffy thing. Oh! And I'm sorry if Mad World is confusing to anyone at the bottem of all this I'll explain, also if you don't like the endings to either of these then I don't blame you. I don't either but I couldn't think of any other way to finish them off._

**Mask**

Portgas D. Ace or as he was better known as 'Fire Fist Ace' a infamous pirate that was the commander of the second division in the even more infamous 'Whitebeard' pirate crew, a consumer of the mera-mera devil fruit, a bit of a pyromaniac because of said devil fruit, a narcoleptic who falls asleep in the strangest of places which is usually while eating for some unknown reason or in the middle of talking to someone, son of Gol D. Roger the man who last held the title of 'Pirate King' and who had with his words started the Great Age of Pirates and Portgas D. Rouge, adopted grandson of Monkey D. Garp or 'Garp the Fist', and brother of the 300,000,000 belli bounty Monkey D. Luffy or 'Straw-hat', 'Baka', 'Idiot', and 'Captain' to different people mainly the last three where reserved for his nakama though watched as dangerous weapons ranging from cannon balls to a shoe where shot at his little brother and his precious nakama in amusement. _Luffy still causes trouble wherever he goes. _Was the fleeting thought that passed through the fire users mind as he smirked before making a one eighty degrees turn to catch up to his chaos causing bundle of excitement of a brother.

Now we must all realize that yes, Ace loved Luffy from the bottom of his heart truly he did and would do anything to keep his little brother safe, but how could anyone not fall down and burst into loud laughter when they saw what Ace was seeing? His oh so strategic brother had just blasted him and his crew onto their ship the Thousand Sunny in a bounce and stretch of his rubbery limbs; the not laughing factor was made even more difficult when you beheld how they had all landed.

Nami was straddling Zoro who was sporting a rather large bump on his head rendering him unconscious, Chopper was upside down and balanced on his hat with swirls for eyes, Usopp had somehow gotten twisted in the main masts' ropes and was mumbling incoherently to himself stuff that sounded like death threats to his captain, Sanji had landed himself head first in a barrel which he was having a rather tough time getting out of, and the rest of the crew that Ace had yet to meet where all piled under there chuckling captain in a heap of tangled limbs, colorful curses, "Yoho's", and "Captain-san I think that was a bit to much."

When Ace was able to finally recover himself he made his way to the ship that was now filled with even louder curses and some shouts of, "You stupid Marimo! How dare you touch Nami-swan in such an uncouth manner!", "Why the hell would I want to even touch that witch you Ero Cook?!?!?!" , and then the clang and bangs of a fight under way, followed by the sound of a pair of knuckles striking something hollow and a screech of, "Both of you shut up! We're supposed to be escaping!"

Ace let out one last heavily suppressed snigger before tying his flame powered boat to the lion…… or is that a sunflower headed ship and jumping up to crouch on the railings and wait to be discovered. It didn't take that long either, before he knew it two rubbery limbs where wrapped around him and he was knocked onto his back with his little brother sitting on his stomach smiling with shouts of "Ace! What are you doing here Ace?"

The mera-mera consumer opened his mouth to answer but was cut off when two arms sprouted from his brother and removed him from his stomach, "Captain-san, you shouldn't tackle your brother like that. Remember he's hurt."

Ace had to blink at that, he was hurt? Since when did that ever stop Luffy from tackling him? Yes, Luffy knew when it wasn't a good time to tackle him but that was never when he was hurt. Oh no, that just gave more reason to tackle in Luffy's eyes. Ace suspected it had to do with how Garp had raised them. Ace was shaken from his thoughts when Zoro asked, "Shouldn't you be with Whitebeard, Ace?" Ah Whitebeard his captain and the man Luffy made promise to watch over him and make sure he doesn't get killed because he fell asleep in the midst of a battle. When did Luffy force this promise from Whitebeard you ask? Why right after giving his older brother over to him after saving said brother from being executed by busting him out of Impel Down of course!

The captain of the rapidly growing menace of the World Government the Straw-Hats threw his head back and laughed. "Ne, ne Zoro, its ok this _is _Ace after all." Ace couldn't help but smile a little at that, his brother who was quickly becoming someone to fear in this giant world of powerful and terror inspiring pirates sounded so confident in him. Loud screams or um……… Shouts of protest came from Chopper who had been the one to do the check up on him and give him a period of healing where he wasn't allowed to even get up to stretch his legs. Luffy just smiled in his own goofy childish way that could disarm most that he met into believing that he was a kid, an idiot, or just a complete and utter moron.

But Ace knew better, he had known Luffy since the day the little rubber powerhouse was born and he had caught glimpses of what really hid away in the younger man. A deity that watched calculated and planned for all things to come his way, many thought that his younger brother was dumb but Luffy was far from it. He had merely put up as a defense against the harshness of the world, a shield of naiveté and innocence and his mask of goofy wonderment had served him well for his seventeen years of life. The mask that he used to hide from many and only took off in extreme times that usually had to do with protecting his nakama.

Ace had to wonder if any of his brothers' nakama had realized that what they saw was not the true Luffy but a mask delicately shaped and perfected to fool all but those who had seen under it when it was lifted. Did those nakama that had seen the truth believe that what they had seen was not there captain but an extra source of power said captain used in dire situations only?

The narcoleptic was shaken from his musings when one of his brothers' nakama started talking while………. Er….. Posing. "Super! I finally get to meet Luffy's bro!" Ace stared and then blinked when he looked at Luffy's new nakama……….. He was wearing a Speedo…. Not that Ace could talk because well he didn't wear a shirt but really. How many people do you find that go around wearing Speedos? But Ace had seen many a weird thing since setting sail from Fuchsia and becoming a pirate and some of them where his little brothers own nakama. Chopper for one he was a talking and doctoring **reindeer**! Reindeer usually don't talk or become doctors now do they? No they don't. Another was Zoro, Ace had heard about his three head and six armed attack but really, who has three heads?!?! That and Zoro had the worst sense of direction Ace had ever seen you would think he would know where he was going by the way he acted. But really Ace had seen stranger things then Franky.

When Ace looked at the rest of Luffy's new crewmates he was even more surprised the so called 'Devil's Child' Nico Robin and a skeleton with an afro singing Bink's Sake had joined the small but powerful crew. Ace had to wonder how Nico Robin ended up with his brother, but then remembered that this was Luffy he was talking about and the bottomless pit he called a brother had a way of getting anyone he wanted on his crew when the need fit him.

"Yohoho! Hello, I am Dead Bones Brook but you may call me Brook and I am pleased to meet Luffy's older brother. Though I am slightly surprised that you are here……. When I saw the captain tackle you I thought my heart might stop………. Although I don't have a heart! Yohoho!" Luffy chuckled from where he sat at his nakamas feet not bothering to get up while Usopp and Chopper both fell down in fits of giggles and snorts. Ace lightly chuckled at his brothers' new nakamas' joke and swept his eyes over the rest of the people who had dedicated their lives to fulfill their dreams, his little brothers, and to keep little brother alive and well. And for that he was thankful to them, he knew how hard it was for some people to accept his brother completely and even harder for them to willingly stay with him for more then a day. Ace knew why some had a hard time as well. Mainly back at their village it was because of his devil fruit powers, Ace had long ago lost count of how many times his little brother would come home with cuts, scraps, and bruises abound from the bastards that where the kids there age. Even harder for some was the way Luffy acted, but yet again it was all an act. A test that his little brother had in his subconscious most likely made, if they couldn't accept the mask then how could they accept the real him? Ace had to admit that people really didn't give his brother enough credit, I mean when he was what four? He had begun making his mask and by six had perfected it so much that at times Ace even caught himself believing his brother truly was a naive idiot at times. Then he would catch a glimpse of the truth hidden away when he saw his little brother take the beatings the boys their age would dish out. Mind you Luffy could beat them all to a bloody pulp in an instant but that would ruin his carefully developed mask now wouldn't it? Ace had always secretly wondered what had possessed his younger brother to even create his mask in the first place but never got anywhere thinking about it, so he didn't.

"Ne, ne Ace this is Robin, Franky, and Brook already introduced himself!" The eldest grandson of the famous vice admiral 'Garp the Fist' looked at his brother's new nakama with interest. Nico Robin, if he remembered correctly and if he had read the paper right then she was prior to this part of Crocodiles' organization, his partner even. She was famed for getting such a high bounty at the mere age of eight. The Speedo guy was apparently Franky……… And by the way the blue haired man had acted in Luffy's ever so graceful landing he was the shipwright if his cursing Luffy for not being gentler with Thousand Sunny said anything. And the skeleton…… Or……. Um…….. Brook was really what Ace thought he was then it seemed that his brother's dream crew was finally made, a cook and a musician. Ah, yes little brother Luffy was so very easy to please.

An hour or so later Ace found himself shivering slightly when a chilly breeze wafted by caused from the sudden decrease of temperature that comes with the unexpected approach of a winter island. Ace had to smile slightly when he saw his little brother with Chopper, Usopp, Brook, and Franky start to dance and yell happily that an island or as Luffy and Brook where yelling a new 'adventure' was close. The yells differed a bit Luffy's centered around meat, Franky's on the chance to get more things he could tinker with to make Sunny even better, Chopper's on the possibility to gather some rare herbs that he knew only grew in arctic zones, while Usopp and Brook where just yelling in general or in Brook's case singing. The fire user turned slightly when he heard a sigh to the left of him to see Nami shaking her head while looking at her loud nakama and mumbling under her breath. Ace could have sworn he heard the words idiots, Zoro, lost, buddy system, and Chopper.

When Ace looked around for Zoro himself he spotted him after a couple minutes of searching. Admittedly the green hair helped in finding him. Zoro was up in the crows nest and was……. Lifting weights while sleeping, Ace shook his head with a chuckle and wondered if anyone else in his brother's crew had any habits that transferred to sleep like Zoro's working out and Luffy's eating habit. Ace poked his head out of the door when he heard a bang followed by a crash to find that his brother had gone to poke and prod Franky's newest creation and had poked it to the point of it exploding. "Luffy! That is sooooooooo not super!"

The rubber man tilted his head in confusion before shrugging his shoulders and looking out to see the so called 'unexplored and filled with adventure' island was close enough to stretch to. But before he could even lift his arms to bound away Nami's voice rang out in the almost silence. "Luffy, your staying here with Ace and Robin to guard the ship, Franky you and Sanji can go and get food to restock the supplies and cola for the ship, and Copper you stay with Zoro, Zoro you follow Chopper! Got it?" Ace laughed when Zoro started to yell at Nami that he didn't need a babysitter and that he would be fine on his own which Nami replied with a quick punch to the head and some threatening words, "You will stay with Chopper Zoro or so help me I will throw all the sake over board and double the amount of money you owe me!"

"Yeah, yeah I'll stay with Chopper so stop yelling at me you witch!" And then Zoro and Sanji were fighting again. Ace looked around himself, his little brother had done well, he had gathered a crew that would follow him to the ends of the world and beyond if needed, which was good because that's what Luffy might just ask of them.

All was silent, Chopper and the others had left about an hour ago and Robin had disappeared to somewhere on the ship. "Hey, Lu?" A slight tilt of straw hat covered head in acknowledgement; Luffy for once had let his mask drop and was sitting silently next to Ace in thought. "Does your nakama know? Do they realize?"

The mera-mera fruit user waited in patience for an answer, when Luffy was like this it was better to wait. Luffy would eventually answer the question and he'd answer it after putting serious thought into it unlike when his mask was up, and if you were impatient then the mask would come back and you'd never get a clear definite answer from the rubber teen. So Ace waited, he had the time and he wanted to know the truth anyway so he could be patient. "…..Ara… No they don't. At least they don't on a subconscious level, I think they do deeper in their psyche but not on the upper levels yet, it'll take a year or so if things stay this way."

Ace stared at his brother, Luffy was probably right. His nakama wouldn't realize that what they saw was a mask for a year or so if they only realized the truth on a subconscious level at the moment…. Huh.... To bad. "So, who do you think will be the first?"

"…… Robin or Nami. They both have lived in ways that they needed to be able to tell the true meanings behind a person, so they'll be the first….. Brook and Franky will probably figure it out next, Brook's lived so long that he'll recognize the signs after a while and Franky's honed his abilities well. After that….. Usopp, he's lied so much he'll notice after some time that I am to. The others I don't know."

"Hmm…… You don't think Zoro will figure it out before the others? He's been with you the longest and he's your first mate." Hm? Robin was here now, and it seems that Luffy had realized a while ago that his archeologist was listening in. If Luffy didn't mind then Ace didn't see why he should.

"No, Zoro's focused on his dream right now, it's a good thing but it cuts down his ability to analyze people a bit."

"Ah, makes sense." A quiet descended on the brothers again as the chilly winter air drifted around them through the corner of his eye Ace saw his brother give a small shiver. "Cold?"

"A little, nothing I can't handle though."

Ace stared ay Luffy for a minute before putting an arm around him and dragging the younger D. to his side before he wrapped both arms around the rubbery teen. "You'll catch a cold if you don't take care of yourself better you know."

"Hm… Thanks Ace, you're really warm."

The older D. watched as his little brother slowly began to completely relax and drop all his shields before falling asleep with a peaceful look on his face. "Love you Lu." The commander of Whitebeard's second division smiled before gently kissing his little brothers forehead.

**Mad World**

_All around me are familiar faces_

_Worn out places, worn out faces_

_Bright and early for the daily races  
Going nowhere, going nowhere_

What would you say to this Luffy? Everyone's together again, the Straw-Hats reunion in a way. But we're missing something important, it's the reason we're all gathered; the reason after so long all of us are seeing each other after so many years apart. The thing we're all missing, not seeing, not hearing is a big goofy child like grin on the face of a beat up straw hat wearer. No loud yelling for meat, no captain encouraging us to see our dreams through anymore, and no serious rubbery man ready to take on the world to protect us, your nakama.

Nami and Sanji came together. You'd be happy; they finally settled down in Sanji's restaurant in All Blue after Nami finished her map of the world and had a kid. He's like his parents in different ways; he has Sanji's chivalrous mannerisms and Nami's ever so manipulative means which he uses to get extra treats for his ever growing female followers. Chopper is the same on the outside but once you look in his eyes you see a different reindeer from the one we collected oh so long ago for a doctor. His eyes hold pain now, not the old pain I knew you saw when we met him in Drum but a new pain of losing more loved ones to this world. They also show the knowledge that came with that pain that the world isn't a fair place and it would rip apart anything at anytime. Robin has reverted back to her 'old self'. She's silent and no longer shares things with others. It would hurt you to see her like this most likely. She's shut herself off to the world and everything in it, including us. I can just imagine what you would do if you saw this. You'd cheer her up and make her tell you her problems and fears then assure her that the nightmares that haunted would never come true. Usopp's changed so much from that lying coward that we met in Syrup. He's different now more serious it's nerve racking a bit. To remember him from before then see him now. Brook with Laboon showed up. You would have thought it funny that Laboon still has the symbol of the Straw-Hats on him. Brook for once isn't cracking jokes about only having bones and he isn't singing either. He's as quiet as the dead no pun intended. Franky is balling his eyes out but that probably wouldn't have surprised you, Franky was always….. Rather emotional.

But the thing that's the same is the expression all of us wear, it's at best worn out. Just like all the places and adventures we reminisce about.

The day after we all are up early ready to hear you shout that it's time to set sail for the next island but then it all crashes down we remember what had happened and we realize that we have no where to go. No destination.

_Their tears are filling up their glasses  
No expression, no expression  
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow_

_No tomorrow, no tomorrow  
_

You'd be sad to see this Luffy; you'd instantly try to make us stop. You'd do something hilarious, but you can't now Luffy can you? Everyone acts different; I wonder if you'd recognize them?

As we all sit and talk with a few glasses of sake and juice ruined by salty tears we remember. And as we remember we all note the changes in each other. Usopp looks so somber now, nothing like the lying story teller of old. Robin's reverted back to being faceless, she doesn't show anything, no expression at all. Nami the usual brave, loud, violent Nami is crying. It's a sight that's almost completely unheard of if I remember correctly you'd only seen her cry once when she asked you for help. And in all our years of traveling I've only seen her shed tears once and it was at the time when you first disappeared. But Nami is indeed crying and she tries to hide it, tries to hold back the tears until Sanji grabs a hold of her and tucks her away burying his face in her hair. We all feel the same thing inside though, that tomorrow is meaningless. There is no wonder in it; it's just another day without our captain.

_  
And I find it kinda funny  
I find it kinda sad  
The dreams in which I'm dying  
Are the best I've ever had  
I find it hard to tell you  
I find it hard to take  
When people run in circles  
It's a very, very mad world mad world  
_

I find it hilariously entertaining that I feel my happiest when I dream, I also feel so sad when I wake up. Do you know what I dream of Luffy? I dream of finally dying, finally leaving this plain of existence and when I finally close my eyes for the last time, take my last breath I see you. You're waiting for me with that same smile you always had. A laugh coming from your mouth and then you're asking me what our next great adventure should be. You ask me if I have any meat on hand because your, like always, hungry. I feel so happy then Luffy when I dream of seeing you again but then when I wake up the dreams shattered and it all comes back, that you're gone that you left us the Straw-Hats, that you left me your first mate, that you left me your husband.

And I find it so hard to live through every day because it's one more day to live without you. I go in circles you know, dreaming, being so happy feeling so fulfilled, and then waking up, having my perfect dream shattered, and then living through another day so I can dream. Sometimes I contemplate suicide but then I think of you, of how you would want me to live and get through this. How you would want me to survive. This world is so meaningless without you Luffy.

_  
Children waiting for the day they feel good  
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday  
And I feel the way that every child should  
Sit and listen, sit and listen_

Children, shush. It's story time, and today's story is about the second Pirate King Monkey D. Luffy and his first mate Roronoa Zoro the greatest swordsman in the Grand Line and beyond. Now does anyone know why were telling this tale today? No? Well the reason is because it is Roronoa Zoro's birthday. Now on with the story, Monkey D. Luffy passed away suddenly and without warning some speculate it was his Gears finally taking their toll and others say that he was finally caught by the marines and put down like the 'mutt' he was. The Pirate King and his first mate traveled all over the world you know, visiting places that we can only imagine. Everything was blissful for the two but then one day the Pirate King perished and Zoro was left alone without his captain, many contemplate that Roronoa took his own life others say that he died in battle like a noble hero but whatever it is he passed away and joined his captain. There is a legend that goes with these two and their deaths; it says that when Luffy died he waited for his first mate in the life after this, waited for years for his best friend to finally join him. They say that when Zoro finally did pass away and joined his captain the gods were so moved by their display of loyalty, love, and feeling that they immortalized them. That they gave them new life they made it so that they would always be able to find each other once again; so they could be together forever.

_  
Went to school and I was very nervous  
No one knew me, no one knew me  
Hello teacher tell me what's my lesson  
Look right through me, look right through me  
_

A gruff green haired teen made his way through the bustling halls of the college he had entered in New York City. The scowling teen had just moved from Boston after feeling a pull to pick up and leave. He wasn't a stranger to the feeling, since he was a mere child of five he had felt the familiar tug to keep moving, to keep searching for what he didn't know. All that he could say was that whatever he was searching for was important and that once he found it he'd finally feel complete, finally after so long fill that empty hole inside him that resounded all through his life. And for once in his life feel content and be able to rest, to relax, to not feel the oh so familiar urge to keep moving and find that one thing that would complete him. So with that urge to find whatever was calling him he had once again moved, and this time he didn't feel the tug to leave again after being in the city for a month. Which was to tell the truth the usual time it took to feel the pull to a new place, he'd already been to Brazil, Beijing, and a small town in North Korea, Sydney, England, a remote part of Iceland, and four other places in the United States in the last three years alone.

But this time was different, the tug was still there but it wasn't leading him to a new part of the world, whatever he was searching for was here in New York. The urge had instead led him to the school he was now attending and it was currently leading him to the cafeteria if the map the secretary had given him was correct.

Deep breaths in and out, nerves jumping around; his search was finally coming to an end. Finally after so long, a hesitant step forward after entering the loud room. What if the thing he had been searching for wasn't really here? What if he had come to a dead end? What if he never found the thing that would make him feel whole? These questions buzzed away in his mind making him go ever slower until he was barely moving anymore.

While the green haired teen was making his way slowly into the crowded lunch room a raven haired teen with a scar under his eye and a straw hat was feeling something that he hadn't in so very long. Something that he had felt only when his first mate Zoro was near, Monkey D. Luffy or at least the reincarnated Monkey D. Luffy was stumped. Was Zoro born again as well? And if so did Zoro have all his memories as well? If he didn't would he recognize him? With these questions dancing in his mind the once rubber man was soundly distracted so he didn't notice a teen with three earrings dangling from an ear approach him. "…..Luffy?"

A jolt went through the raven haired teen before his customary smile stretched across his face, "Zoro?"

Roronoa Zoro stared at the shorter teen in wonderment as the empty feeling in side him faded away as long lost memories came rushing back of all the things they had done together with the rest of the Straw-Hats. Zoro blinked down at his captain for a moment before he grabbed Luffy and kissed him, yes he had finally found the missing piece.

_  
And I find it kinda funny  
I find it kinda sad  
The dreams in which I'm dying  
Are the best I've ever had  
I find it hard to tell you  
I find it hard to take  
When people run in circles  
It's a very, very mad world ... mad world  
Enlarging your world  
Mad world_

I fell asleep and dreamed of you Luffy and I was swept away with the beauty of it, I never want to wake up to meet a world without you in it. It's too hard and eventually I'll break, and then it will be such a mad world. So just wait a little longer for me Luffy because I'm finally coming.

_AN: Alright so the first three parts and the last little thing is in Zoro's POV after Luffy died, the fourth one is in a classroom where the teachers telling the students about Luffy adn Zoro, and fifth is after the two were reborn and Zoro's trying to find Luffy again without knowing what he's searching for. Gomen if this comfused anyone, but I wanted to make this fic this way, it just seemed to fit._


	40. Nakama

~Sorry I haven't updated, I was busy and lost inspiration through the death of the one and only brother of Luffy, Ace!

I do not own One Piece in anyway shape or form, if I did then Ace wouldn't be dead.......... Ace! Wah! Why did he have to die?

Nakama

_Nakama. Such a simple word, only made up of four different letters n, a, k, and m. But isn't the words that have the most meaning, the most depth to them simple? Love and hate, both are such strong feelings that can be used to create feats that all deemed impossible but at the same time they're such simple words. But nakama is simple but at the same time complex because it mixes love and hate together so finely. You can love a nakama but at the same time you can hate them. You can do magnificent things for a nakama or do terrible devilish deeds with the thought that it's for a nakama. _

**And Monkey D. Luffy was no exception to the feelings of loyalty to his nakama.**

"Mr. Monkey you are here today to be judged for your multiple crimes. Which include theft, homicide, and destruction of property worth over six hundred billion dollars. How do you plead?" A stern man, the judge, sat behind a raised podium staring down at the riffraff that had finally been caught. Monkey D. Luffy, the Don of the mafia family the Straw-Hats and the 'King' or Don of all Dons in Grand Line.

"Guilty as charged sir." An innocent smile that made the judge pause a moment. Could this young man, no, this teen be the vicious criminal that was Monkey D. Luffy? Wanted for killing hundreds?

"Now Mr. Monkey, if you give names to the ones that helped yo-"

"No" The dark haired teen wasn't smiling anymore, in fact his face was terribly blank for someone of his age.

"Mr. Monkey I don't think you understand the severity of your crimes and what we're offering you. If you just give us names then your sentence will be shortened considerably." A stern look sent to the teen in cut off denim pants and the judge once again found him wondering, could this really be Monkey D. Luffy?

"No." This time the judge had no problem seeing what made this man, this teen, one of the most wanted men in the world. His face had turned hard, his eyes flat and stormy, a killer's face and a killer's eyes. The face and eyes of someone who would never give up and back down no matter what they had to do. "You're asking me to betray my nakama sir. And that's something I won't do."

"Nakama?" A foreign word to the old judge, maybe it was a new slag term made in the same way that so many before it had been created.

A single terse nod. "Nakama, the people who I would do anything for." Such a solemn expression on such a young face the judge wondered what had happened to this world that such younglings were hardened criminals.

"Even kill? Would you do all of your past crimes for your 'nakama' if you knew that you'd end up here?" It was a true question, would this murderer who masqueraded as an innocent teen really do anything, even go to jail, be sentenced to the death penalty for his 'nakama'.

Without a second thought, in a single moment with any hesitation Monkey D. Luffy answered with a completely different look on his face. This one was softer, eyes warm with fond thoughts and a gentle smile that spoke of many things. Adoration, joy, loyalty, and finally love all the things that made life worth living for. "Yes."

And with that single word the courtroom broke into thunderous howls and raging protests that this _child _that this _innocent _lad couldn't possibly be Monkey D. Luffy and for the authorities to stop being such simpletons and finally catch the scum and let the poor _boy_ go. On the opposite side scared screams and cries filled with woe called down to the circle that was made from the jury, judge, guards, and criminal to stop with this mockery and kill, incarcerate, and destroy the filthy scum that had terrorized them for so long, that had killed the ones that they had held precious to them.

"Silence!" All went still at the yell from the stone faced criminal in the middle of the circle. "Your honor, I plead guilty of all accusations and am ready to face the consequences of my actions. And I realize what I'm doing by not naming my accomplices." With the final words the innocent smile was back in place.

"Well then Mr. Monkey if that is all then I here by sentence you to death." A loud echo rang hauntingly from the gavel as it landed sentencing one of the world's most feared criminals to death. The judge looked down at the teen that was what one could call a mass murderer and was shocked to see a look of absolute peace and acceptance painted across the face of the condemned man.

Not three weeks later in a richly decorated mansion a group of twelve people could be seen delicately sipping fine wine with tears in their eyes as the footage of the criminal known as 'Straw Hat Luffy's' judgment was played on the enormous flat screen.

"That idiot, why he jut wouldn't tell them about us!" A crash as the fragile glass that had been holding a dark red wine smashed into a pristine wall. "Who the hell does he think he is!?!?! Leaving us like this? Damn it!" Eleven pairs of eyes turned to look at the furious green haired man as he raged on about the stupidity of their one and only Don, Luffy. Some were overflowing with understanding at the mans plight while others were filled with pity and some were packed with an overabundance of sadness.

"Zoro, Bro, calm down this is Luffy were talking about. We wouldn't of been able to make him tell them anything of importance if we were even their. He was just that stubborn." A blue haired looked at the steaming man with profound grief in his eyes that were hidden by a pair of designer sun glasses.

"Franky's right Zoro, we couldn't have done anything, Anchor would have found a way to stop us if we tried even if he was being watched." A red head with three slashes across his face stared at the by now panting man in understanding. He knew why Zoro was so torn up about Luffy's death; the green haired man had been by Luffy's side since Luffy had started his own family. He had seen Luffy at his best and worst he had been as close as Ace, Garp, Makino, and himself had been to Luffy. As he thought the names Shanks looked around the luxuriantly decorated room to the people that matched the names, they to had a look of understanding in their eyes. They knew the pain the man was feeling.

"Just……. Why did he have to leave us?" At that question the tears flowed freely from several of the people present.

"Because Zoro, my idiot of a brother would never let us, his nakama, get hurt."

--------

_~I know I'm a bad person, I killed Luffy! Bad self, do not kill Luffy. Bad, very bad._

_--------_

A rattling of chains in the dimly lit room resounded off the sea stone walls in a cruel laugh that mocked those that were locked away in its confining stockade. A single lamp in one of the corners of the room flickered weakly giving out just enough light to show striking red hair with goggles restraining the spiky mass out of a pale face, long fingers clenching and unclenching with all the letters to the word death excluding the a in bold black, and a large cheerful smile that puckered the scar under the left of a pair of bright onyx eyes that dug into your very being. A loud crash as a door was opened with force brought blinding light into the previously dark room showing that the three men in the cell that was kept to the right side were none other then three of the Eleven Supernovas. In fact the three men that were entrapped within the cage like cell were the three of the Eleven Supernovas with the highest bounties. Eustass 'Captain' Kidd, the 'Surgeon of Death' Trafalgar Law, and 'Straw-hat' Monkey D. Luffy, with a combined bounty of 815,000,000 belli. "Pirate scum wake up, you're being moved below deck to make room." Shuffling from the three caged men as the man who shoved the door open before grabbed a set of keys from the wall then slowly made his way to the cell.

"Don't know how he thinks we could of fallen asleep in this place, idiot." A glare was shot at the 'Surgeon of Death' before the nameless marine hit him in the back of the head forcing him to the ground.

"Shut up you scum, you should be grateful you had this cell. It's one of the nicer ones." A dark soul ripping stare landed on the huffy marine by Law as he got up lazily acting like he hadn't been knocked down a moment ago.

"Hey Marine Guy! Can I have some food! I'm hungry….." The three other occupants in the room looked at the still smiling Straw-Hat as he stared at the marine with a pleading look in his expressive eyes. "Please? I won't cause any trouble! Can I just have some food?" A disgusted look was shot at the rubbery man by the marine who was starting to put shackles on Law and Kidd. "Oh! And have you heard anything about my nakama? Did they get away?"

"Shut up you pirate scum! No, you can't have any food. Bottom feeders like you don't deserve it and you're so called _nakama _escaped, seems like you weren't important enough to rescue Straw-Hat." The scathing words rushed forth from the impassioned man as Luffy stared at him, and then finally smiled as he mockingly said that his nakama had gotten away.

"Well, that's good then!" A happy sun shine smile.

A blank look from the marine ,"Whatever you pirate scum, come here so I can shackle you I'm already behind in my work and don't need you slowing me down anymore!"

Silence descended on the trio of pirates as their captor clasped the shackles and chains on them with a _shink_. One happy smile boarding on maniacal to the others, a laid back bored look with focused calculating eyes, and a cheerful grin that lit the dark hallway with a supposed sun. All three thinking of different things; one of how much he would _love to rip the stupid ass marine into little tiny pieces then feed him to a sea king_, another of _why was it taking Bebo so long to find him?_, and the final man was thinking about _how great it is that his nakama had gotten away and that he didn't need to worry anymore that they'd get caught!_

But as they all went deeper into the marine ship and closer to their deaths; Luffy's at Marine Headquarters ASAP and Laws and Kidds in the newly built and reinforced Level Six of Impel Down. Two of them thought about the conversation they had had with the 'rubbery idiot' about how they all got caught mere moments before the marine had barged in.

_Silence in the little room only broken by the breathing of the three occupants. "So, how'd they catch you Kidd?" The 'Surgeon of Death' smiled at 'Captain' Kidd in pure glee that he wasn't the only one of the Supernovas to be caught and his smile only grew wider as he realized that 'Straw Hat' Luffy was in the cell with them. _

_"Che why the hell should I tell you Law?" An unseen glare was shot._

_"Hm, no reason just curious. What about you Mister Straw-Hat? How'd they catch you?" A mocking smile was directed at the infamous hell raiser known as 'Straw-Hat Luffy'._

_"Ara. They cheated! It wasn't a fair fight…….." A pout and a childish voice of disappointment met the other two Supernovas. A scoff from Eustass 'Captain' Kidd and some mumbling that Law could of sworn was 'idiot, there is no such thing as a fair fight.' _

_"And how did they cheat Mister Straw-Hat?" Still the same mocking smile but this time with amusement fluttering in his eyes as he stared at the dejected teen, or at least where he thought Luffy was he couldn't really tell in the limited light. Really 'Mister Straw-Hat' was so naïve it was getting harder to believe that his bounty beat his own. _

_"They used my nakama against me! And that weird pink guy, with the feathers. You know the guy who wiggles his fingers-" Luffy kindly demonstrated the finger wiggling for the two even though they couldn't see. "-he made them fight against me."_

_Doflamingo? A shichibukai? Curious. "Go on Mister Straw-Hat, so the pink feathered guy wiggled his fingers and made your crew fight you?" At his repeated description of the shichibukai Kidd snorted again. "How did that get you caught?"_

_"Oh. I turned myself in!" A cheerful answer with an accommodating jovial grin plastered on his face as if he didn't just say something completely stupid._

_Kidd spluttered while Law raised an eyebrow in question. "You turned yourself in?"_

_"Yeah, I made a deal with Gramps that I'd go with the marines if they let my nakama get away." That same exuberance was injected into the rubbery teen's voice. "I couldn't fight them, I can't hurt my nakama." As the last words were uttered Luffy's voice took a dramatic turn and his voice matured into something that Law could imagine would fit the look he bore before punching the Celestial Dragon that had shot the fish man. _

_"You just turned yourself in?" A disgusted snort came from Kidd when Luffy responded with a joyful 'yep!'. _

Straw-Hat Luffy was an enigma he was renowned for being crazy. Hell, he'd taken on a shichibukai in the last week and didn't find anything weird about it. He was….. Selfless, he's turned himself in for his nakama. It was an act that not many would do. As Law and Kidd pondered on Monkey D. Luffy as they were led to the lower depths of the battleship a crash was heard from above a voice shouting afterwards stopping the four men in their tracks. "Oi! Luffy where the hell are you!" Followed by worried calls of 'Are you ok?'

The smile on the teens face grew larger before he began to shout back, I'm down here guys! And I'm hungry……."

Chuckles as a louder smash before the ceiling caved in filling the hallway with dust. "Yep, he's fine."

"Zoro!" Law and Kidd watched as the dust dissipated revealing 'Pirate Hunter Zoro' in its wake with all three of his swords drawn.

"Captain, it's time to go. Sanji has food on the ship."

Luffy nodded happily before kicking the marine in the head then bounding off to follow his first mate. "So, did you guys have any fun adventures while I was gone? Did you find anything interesting to eat? Did you save me any?"

Roronoa simply kept walking forward ignoring his captain's questions before stopping then sparing a glance behind him. "Do you know how to get out of here Luffy?"

"Um… Nope!" A cheerful laugh as if being lost was the best thing in the world.

"Hm, we could just break through walls until we find the others. Yeah, let's do that." Luffy turned to stare at Kidd and Law as Zoro started to break through the steel walls of the ship.

"Bye you guys!" An exaggerated wave as Luffy hurriedly followed Zoro through the hole in the wall. Trafalgar Law and Eustass Kidd just peeked at each other before separating and going their own ways.

------

_This was more of a way to show the lengths Luffy would go for his nakama. It steamed from the beginning paragraph about nakama then just grew. _


	41. Odium

_Here's O. It's a little angst filled. It's about the guilt that Luffy felt after Ace died._

_I don't own One Piece dammit! _

Odium

Monkey D. Luffy was a lot of things. He was childish, dangerous, an idiot, naïve, a monster, a savior, a protector, and a fighter. He could accept all these facts. He could acknowledge that some saw him as a hero for freeing them from a tyrant and others viewed him as an abomination for being the son of Dragon. He could handle all that. For the people who thought that he was a hero and someone to be praised or reflected that he was an abomination and should be put down like the beast he was, they were all people he had no real connection to. They were people he had saved along with a nakama or they were those who were afraid because he was a rising power. Either way they held no real meaning to him.

So he felt nothing outstanding when they proclaimed their hate or love to him. He just stared in pity at those shallow enough to hate him for who his father is or showed a startlingly blank face to those who called him a monster for the deeds he had performed to protect a nakama. He smiled calmly at those that confused gratitude with love and waved happily at the ones who thought they had fallen for him for the part of him that had liberated their homes.

None of these people mattered in the grand scope of things, call him cruel, but the things that mattered; that he would die for were his nakama. He would destroy whole towns, level mountains, and rip rivers from their beds for his nakama. They were the only ones he would let matter. Them and the ones they held dear, he would never let his nakama be hurt in any way if he could stop it. Be it emotional, physical, or spiritual.

So when Monkey D. Luffy had a dream, mere days after the death of his brother, best friend, and lover. Ace. Saying with a sneer that it was all his fault that he had died. That it was his fault and that he hated him something in Luffy broke. When he woke up the hurt still hung thick in the air and dampened his usual jovial aura so much that when his crew was finally reunited they all promptly hugged him whispering words of comfort. But when the hugs and the words didn't help they all stepped back and looked, they observed him, took meaning from his eyes that they always thought would never ever grace their captain. Their captain, their pillar of strength was at his weakest right now. He had fallen down at some point and wasn't' trying to rise. He had given up.

They all pondered what had caused their captain to be this way and finally found out in the form of that same dream coming back to Luffy. It was a night that none of them would ever forget, their captain who shined confidence, who gave off a presence of power, and who was so very brave was torn. He was defeated, in his dream something had caused their captain to recede inside himself. When they tried to talk to him all Luffy would do was mumble incoherently, it wasn't until the sun was almost up that they finally were able to make out what their traumatized captain was saying. He was apologizing; over and over he was asking Ace to forgive him, to love him again and to not hate him anymore. They were stunned, this is what had been torturing their gallant captain?

When Luffy finally came to and became aware of where he was he gave them all a hollow smile and apologized to them for making them worry. The Straw-Hats just smile back at him and told him that Ace would never have blamed him, that Ace was probably right at that very moment looking down at him with wishes for him to keep moving and fulfill his dream. That Ace could never hate him, for Ace was his older brother, his best friend, and his lover. Ace would want Luffy to be happy. They explained all these things to their captain who listened with rapt attention. Who at the end of their speech smiled in a way that broke their hearts. Luffy had realized what they said had been the truth, he knew that Ace would never blame him for his death, but Luffy blamed himself still. And it was possible that he would forever blame himself.


	42. Phase

**IMPORTANT****!** _This has some spoilers as it follows some of the newer things in the manga. It has Sabo but I'm pretending that Sabo's father never found him and the fire was never started so Luffy, Ace, and Sabo stayed together through their teen years. _

**Background info! **_Sabo is Luffy and Ace's friend who was actually part of their pact to become brother's, he knew Ace before Luffy even showed up and was living in Gray Terminal- a desolate place filled with people who don't care if they live or die anymore- where Ace would sneak away to see (they were collecting treasure together so they could buy a pirate ship). Luffy would attempt to follow Ace to Gray Terminal and failed a number of times before he finally made it and was tied to a tree by Ace and Sabo. Luffy was later tortured by a pirate for information on the location of Ace's and Sabo's treasure. Luffy didn't give any info away and was saved by Ace and Sabo, they all became friends and later brothers. Dadan is a mountain bandit who Garp is blackmailing to take care of Ace and later Luffy._

_I don't own One Piece  
_

Phase

When the Straw-Hats think about it they realize that no matter how powerful their captain is, no matter how childish he acts, and no matter how terrifying he can be at times he's still a teenager. Which brought the realization that Luffy had previously been a child, and if he was a child before, a teen now, and without the… Awkwardness of being a teen then Luffy had already gone through the horrible torment that was _puberty_. Which raised a question or two, the one at the forefront though was 'What was Luffy like during those years?'And if you were to ask those that knew the rubbery ball of energy at that time you'd get different reactions. Sabo's would be to scowl, Garp's to laugh, Dadan's to sigh, and Ace's would be to blush. For they had all been there for that time in Luffy's life, albeit they all had different memories when asked what Luffy was like going through puberty.

_Growth Spurt:_

It was Sabo who noticed it at first. And when he did he was not happy, Monkey D. Luffy, the little brat that had followed Ace all the way to Gray Terminal, the kid that had taken a vicious beating from Porschemy so Ace and him would be his friends, the child that Sabo considered to be his brother along with Ace, was now taller then him! And damn it! That wasn't cool! Luffy was his little brother, he was not supposed to grow taller then him!

When Sabo brought his plight to Ace the freckled boy had laughed and told him that Luffy had just hit a growth spurt and after Sabo hit one of his own did he would once again be taller then the rubber child.

And Ace was right. Sabo did hit a growth spurt, right before Luffy hit another one, which made the smiling child taller then him again! When the same thing kept happening Sabo finally gave up on being taller then Luffy, he did it with a scowl and a huff of 'He's doing it on purpose, I know it!'

_Voice Cracking:_

When Garp visited after being away for who knows how long he expected to find both Ace and Luffy how he left them, Ace with a frown adorning his freckled face and an aura of loathing towards the world in general surrounding him and a scrawny Luffy with the disposition of a child on a permanent sugar high.

But, what he expected to find and what he actually found clashed horribly. Instead of a frowning Ace with an aura foul enough to get tigers and bears to back down he found a smiling teen with scratches and other wounds abound, the aura that had hung around the freckled teen had all but disappeared. And Luffy, Luffy who was so child like with the barest hint of baby fat still lingering at his cheeks had grown up into a slender teen with the same smile. But what really got him, what really surprised Garp was when Luffy had yelled at him for giving Ace a punch filled with his love Luffy's voice had cracked! Right in the middle of his shout his voice had cracked going from his usual child like voice to a shrill high pitched keen for a matter of moments.

At the sound Garp had froze forgetting all about Ace in favor of staring agog at his other grandson whose voice had just cracked. And he continued to stare at Luffy until the straw hat wearing teen began to fidget under his gaze, at that point, after Ace had started to glare at him for making Luffy uncomfortable Garp burst out laughing.

_Moodiness:_

To Dadan the few years that Luffy went through puberty was a living hell.

It started with Sabo whining about Luffy being taller to Garp and the brat getting into a all out brawl in her house after the marine had laughed at Luffy's voice cracking and the straw that broke the camels back was when Luffy finally started to get moody.

The hyperactive boy was a handful already without his moods going haywire. The rubber child already aggravated alligators on a regular basis, fought with cutthroat criminals in Gray Terminal, and got dangerously close to the ocean for a fruit user of his age. All these things had brought the 'Wrath of Garp' down on Dadan's poor head, which Dadan thought was terribly unfair because Garp did more damage to the boy when he visited then Luffy obtained through his 'adventures'.

Luffy only got worse though when his mood went haywire, something that Dadan had thought previously impossible. Now the boy would be his usual happy go lucky smiles a lot self one minute then a dangerous and hateful demon the next. Dadan had lost count how many times Ace had come back to the house with Luffy in tow knocked out because the smiling teen had switched moods and went on a rampage till he wore himself out. On those days Dadan would see smoke rising in the distance and sigh, she was getting to old for this shit. As the smoke disappeared and Dadan got ready for the moody teen to wake up so she could knock him out again she'd always promise herself the same thing, that no matter what Garp blackmailed her with she was not going to take care of anymore of his grandsons.

_Hormones:_

Ace had conflicting emotions on the issue of Luffy going through puberty. He thought it was funny when Sabo came to him complaining that Luffy was taller then him. He frowned when he remembered Garp, the old bastard, laughing at his little brother when his voice cracked. And he got a weary look when he contemplated on how many times he's had to drag Luffy away from the rubble that was left after Luffy went berserk.

But this, this was a new one. Ace was embarrassed. Ace blushed. And Ace stuttered.

Luffy, the annoyance that had repeatedly followed him, the idiot that had allowed himself to get beat up for his and Sabo's friendship, and the kid that Soba and himself had adopted as a younger brother. Luffy was all those things, he was also developing hormones. And according to Garp who had learned of his, Sabo's, and Luffy's pledge to be brothers it was his job to give Luffy the 'Talk'.

Now normally explaining these kinds of things to Luffy wouldn't be that bad, it wouldn't be this awkward, but it was bad and it was awkward because every time Ace explained something to Luffy the bouncy teen wanted to try it out. And then Ace had to explain that 'No Luffy we can't do that' and 'Men can't get pregnant Luffy'. But Luffy was stubborn and kept asking questions, questions that made everything so much worse then it should be. Finally Luffy wore Ace down though.

And so Sabo walked in on Ace making out with Luffy (Sabo had quickly fled the room after giving a rather girlish shriek) which caused Ace to swiftly extract himself from Luffy's person and rush out of the room with a blush on his face.


	43. Quill

_Here's Q! And let me tell you people that I loath this chapter, but I had to something for Q and my other idea ran off to become a chapter story. Traitor, it knows I'm only doing one-shots for a while! But yeah, I don't really like this chapter and I had to force myself to write it at like 2 in the morning so sorry if it sucks big time._

_I don't own One Piece, you know what? I'm done putting this here! I've stated that I don't own One Piece enough times! I'm becoming depressed with the constant reminder... *Sniff*_

_Luffy's seriously OC in this chapter, sorry. _

Quill

Roronoa Zoro looked down at the folded piece of paper that one solemn faced Portgas D. Ace had handed him. And with trembling hands did he unfold it. The ink was blotched in some places from tears and the creases were red with blood. It was a letter, a letter addressed to him from Luffy. He stared at the paper for a moment longer wondering if what Ace had said was all a cruel joke, it wasn't possible that Luffy was dead, it wasn't even probable that his bouncy captain had perished, it wasn't conceivable that his best friend was gone, and it wasn't imaginable that his lover was departed.

But the note he held in his shaking hands, the note with his Luffy's tears and blood said a different story. And as he read the note, Luffy's last words to him, silent tears cascaded down his face only to drip down and mingle with the ink of Luffy's note further blurring the words that he wished weren't true. A shaky intake of breath was all Zoro could do to calm himself enough to even whisper out his thanks to Ace for delivering Luffy's message to him. And with a gaze of understanding that held its own soul crippling sadness did Ace leave.

But Zoro didn't notice Ace leaving as one thought ran through his mind continuously; Luffy can't be dead, he was going to become the King of the Pirates, he had _promised_ that they'd stay together forever! And with that one thought prevailing Zoro failed to notice that a navy ship had appeared while he was in his stupor, he failed to realize that he'd been standing in the same place staring at the note in disbelief for over twelve hours, and he failed to take note of the marines that snuck up on him only to relieve him of his head. And with a final swish of a gleaming sword did Roronoa Zoro's life end, no one taking notice of the bloodied and blurred parchment that fell into the ocean.

~#~#~#~#~

_Dear Zoro, _

_If your reading this then that means that I wasn't able to save Ace and get away at the same time. I ask that you don't blame Ace who I gave this note to; it was my own decision to go and save him. Knowing him when I get around to actually rescuing him he'll tell me to beat it, but I won't because he's my brother. And Zoro, I've already lost one of my brothers and I can't lose my other one. What kind of man would I be if I left my brother to die? What kind of human would I be? Would any of you really be okay following someone who turned their back on kin? So Zoro it was my own fault if I ended up dead, I wasn't strong enough to protect myself. _

_I have a request Zoro, would you tell the crew I'm sorry? That I didn't mean to leave you all so soon and that I hope you all live long lives filled with happiness. Zoro I want you to move on, to move towards your dream. I want you to find someone who'll make you smile, laugh, and be happy. I want you to live, please, for me at least try? _

_I'm sad about being dead Zoro. I don't get to watch Chopper grow up, attend Sanji's and Nami's wedding, see Robin finish the poneglyphs, bring Brooke and Laboon together, take Usopp to the island of giant warriors, and help Franky take the Thousand Sunny all around the world. So, would you do these things for me? Would you be captain? I'll understand if you don't want to but then would you make sure everyone's safe, that everyone can make it on their own before disbanding the Straw-Hats? _

_I'm making a mess of this note with my tears aren't I? But I can't seem to stop crying. Zoro, I love you…. And with this letter it's goodbye…_

_Love with all my heart,_

_Luffy_

_~I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!~_


	44. Resolve

Alright then! Here is R! I actually like this chapter better then the last one, this one I actually had fun with. It doesn't have a pairing so much as it's centered on Luffy.

Summary: He won't stop because _they don't want him to_.

_-This is when people are talking to Luffy in his mind, notice the dashes on both sides-_

Resolve

_Drip drop drip dro-_

Rain cascading down striking a figure bunched over.

_Drop dri-_

A shaky hand unsettles messy ebony black hair. Memories flash behind unseeing onyx eyes. A flash of green splattered with red, a raging fire put out with magma, three scars over forever closed eyes, smoky gray being trapped by a giant shadow, lightening being caught and caged, cigarette smoke blowing away with the wind, tales of great deeds silenced forever, sakura blossoms being crushed, thousands of arms in chains, cracks and snaps sinking a ship, and the keens of a whale.

_Drop drip dri-_

Names, _names _of people that mean something arise with the memories. Lazy days spent sleeping with Zoro, Ace and him laughing as children, Shanks saving him from the sea king, Garp lifting him over his head and spinning him as a toddler, Nami smiling as he showed her the shiny rock he'd found, hours on end taste testing food for Sanji, listening to Usopp's amazing stories on peaceful days, playing with Chopper during parties, sitting still as Robin teaches about past events with a smile on her face, watching with a content expression as Franky excitedly explains his newest improvement to the ship, and soaking in serenity as Brooke played Bink's Sake.

_Drip drop drop dri-_

The people in the memories are important, they're, they're his _nakama_. And with that thought a surge of memories. Zoro cut down with blood seeping into his green hair, Ace alit with fire smothered by Akainu's attack, Shanks poisoned and on his death bed, Garp being sent to Impel Down for treason by Sengoku, Nami drugged and kidnapped by bounty hunters, Sanji swept away in a whirlwind of the World Government's true power, Usopp missing for days then found with his mouth stitched closed dead, Chopper overrun in a tidal wave of vice-admirals, Robin being sold into slavery, Franky sinking to the bottom of the sea with the wrecked ship, and Brook being blown to smithereens with Laboon.

_Drip drip dri-_

Panic sets in as the memories keep coming, they're _gone_, all of them are _gone_.

_Drop drip dro- A scream_

Shattered shards of what once was a person's mind piece together. Gone, nakama, dead, taken, government, fault. _The World Government had taken his nakama away from him_. Crazed eyes flickered around the desolate crater. Cruel, sick, _broken_ laughter resounds through the silence. He would_ -kill them all-_. He would -_make them suffer-_. He would -_destroy their world like they did his- _if it was the last thing he did.

_Drip drip drop dro-_

Fire burns the town in front of him -_do it Luffy don't let any of them live_- as women flee, childrean cry, and men run at him hoping to kill him.

_Drip dro-_

A man crouching in front of his family, protecting them from harm –_they killed us Luffy they took us away from you_- now blood pouring from the same man as the family is destroyed.

_Drop drip dr-_

Tearing apart a faceless marine –_make them scream Luffy_- dropping mutilated bodies on the blood soaked ground.

_Dri-_

Ripping the mast off of a ship and leaving the people to suffer –_that's right Luffy don't show any mercy_- they'd die of starvation now.

_Drop dro-_

_-Kill them Luffy, kill them all-_

_Drop drip drip drop dri-_


	45. Suffer

_And here is S! _

_I tried to make this one more funny because my last two have been sort of darker with Luffy dying or going crazy, so I did this one as a pick me up type of deal. And the reason I picked this word is because Ace does suffer through his new found worry of Luffy's chastity. I had fun with this, I'm not gonna lie._

_If you're womdering how Luffy is well... 'Changed' in the fic it was because of the hormones Ivankov gave him before, they were laced with something else that will not be mentioned. Also, Ace is alive in this fic. Luffy saved him and all is well._

Summary: Ace was slipping, and it was all Ivankov's fault!

Suffer

Portgas D. Ace had no idea what he'd done in his past life to warrant his current torment and he was sure that it wasn't so terrible that he had to go through _this_. What is Ace talking about you may wonder, well to fully understand we must go back to the beginning…

_The cry of a baby broke the tense silence left behind by the birthing of Portgas D. Rouge's and the Pirate King Gol D. Roger's son. "I'll name you Ace, Gol D. Ace." Rouge smiled down at her and Roger's child with the warmth that only a mother could possess. And with her smile still in place did Rouge close her eyes for the last ti- _NO! Not this far back! I didn't mean this beginning, _idiots_, I meant the beginning of the current story! Kami-sami, why did you curse me with these stupid fools? Why are you glaring at me? Get back to work! Get the clip ready, alright in three, two, one, go!

_The smell of salt wafted through the cold morning air as the sun began its ascent into the clear blue sky. All was peaceful, all was silent, all was –BANG- not so peaceful and silent anymore. A very unmanly screech shattered all semblance of serenity and the Straw-Hats jolted awake. "Whazzit? Who's screaming?" Nami got up carefully being extra cautious not to topple the pile of maps to the side of her bed. _

_"Ah, it sounded like it came from Captain-sans room." Robin drowsily wiped the sleep from her eyes as she and Nami made their way to the deck only to find a girl that they had never met dressed in Luffy's clothes running around screaming. _

_"Luffy! Shut the hell- up?" Sanji came to a stop, he was sure that it was his captain that was yelling before but the beauty in front of him couldn't be his idiot captain no matter how alike they looked! _

_"Ahhh! You guys help! I went to sleep feeling funny and when I woke up I was like __this__!" Luffy came to a stop in front of hi- ermmm, her crew and gave them a chance to fully take in the changes to their captain. Luffy now had curves, obvious ones, ones that made Sanji start to swoon. He also had a higher voice, one that was a far cry from his usual tones, this one was more musical and lilting. His face had also become more feminine with sharper cheek bones, slimmer lips, and dark eyelashes framing shimmering black eyes. _

_"Luffy br-…. Er…. Sis…. Is that you?" Franky warily looked at the female that was so alike to his bouncy captain, it couldn't be, could it? It wasn't even conceivable that Luffy was now a female. _

_And then with Luffy's recognition of his own name in a female body everything went to the dogs. Sanji being who he is immediately pulled a lovely decorated pie out of who knows where and shoved it under Luffy's nose with compliments to the newest female of their crew. Which caused Zoro to snort none too quietly and call Sanji his trade mark insults 'Ero Cook' and 'Curly Brow' to name two, Sanji retaliated in his custom way, which was to attack Zoro all the while yelling insults. Nami after a few moments of the fight got a headache and pummeled the two till they were on the ground twitching in agony. All the while Chopper had been ecstatically bouncing while dragging his reluctant captain to the infirmary to be examined; it's not every day that he saw someone change genders you know. Usopp in all the mayhem had started to spout a story about how he had once been the 'Fearless Empress Usopp' and had led twenty million fellow female pirates in destroying a mad man bent on making all females his slaves. Franky during the short period of time after Luffy's confirmation had had a melt down and was now in a corner of the ship mumbling to himself. Robin and Brooke were the two who took the news best, Robin calmly smiled before opening one of her favorite books to the spot she had left off at, and Brook just happily hummed to himself while sipping tea. Some say he was denial of what was happening but he'll tell you that he was simply keeping his cool and letting the younger people of the crew panic. _

_And this is the scène that one Portgas D. Ace was met with when he came to visit his younger brother. Now Ace would describe himself as a pretty calm person, he was laid back, he didn't panic when faced with danger, and he was able to live through Luffy's 'adventures' without any heart failure yet. But, this, this was something that he wasn't able to brush off, that he wasn't able to simply smile away, and that he wasn't able to politely negate. _

_His __brother__ Luffy was now his __sister__! Now Ace has worried about Luffy before, hell, who wouldn't with all the trouble the rubbery knucklehead could find? But he's never had to worry about perverts or people that would taint Luffy's innocence (well to be completely honest he does worry a little but he pushes this worry to the __far__ back parts of his mind never to be touched). When the realization that his __sister__ may be threatened by these, these, __scumbags__, Ace starts to flip out, in a very dignified manner though (he'd never allow himself to completely lose his cool, he's worked for to many years to perfect it). And when he sees his __sister__ trip and fall he's comforted by the fact that it's still Luffy, then he's floored when the cook (who he __knows__ would of never helped Luffy when he was a male) and the swordsman (who's always been suspicious) get up from where they had previously been laying in pain to help his __sister__ up. All the while __touching__ her! _

_And Ace then realized when Luffy flashed a smile in thanks that dazzled the two men that Luffy was going to need twenty four seven protection from all possible perverts. With that thought in mind Ace swiftly extracted his __sister__ from the grasp of her crew mates, glared at them maliciously, and fled with his __sister__ in tow to go find a nunnery where he __knows__ she'll be protected from all the perverts in the world. While pulling Luffy along Ace couldn't help but wonder what he'd done to warrant this torture and torment. _

And that's a wrap!


	46. Time

Here's T, I had fun creating this one.

**This letter is made of four different times in history, one of which is the One Piece verse but the other three are eras from the past that I actually believe it or not researched a little bit to write this how I wanted it to be.**

_Anchient Egypt- During Ramesses II's rule. Ramesses II is known for having many mistresses that bore him numerous sons._

_Song Dynasty- During this time a bunch of new things were being made or thought of, new battle tactics, ways of writing and painting, and they started to use paper money. They wer govorned by a group of people as well._

_Mughal Empire- Set near the end of this era when the govornment was falling apart, the people were rebelling, and invaders were taking over._

Summary: They stayed together through the ages.

Time

_Ancient History: Bronze Age- New Kingdom (Egypt)_

A young man sat on a gleaming stone wall staring out into the sandy dunes with a contemplating expression set. Dark hair had by all of the noblemen in the Great Egyptian Empire was pulled back showcasing powerful eyes burning with red when the sun shifted and pale skin that was an oddity in the land of Egypt. A shift in position caught the Light of Ra on the gold bands on the youth's forearms, gold bands set with jewels and engraved with the marks of Sekhmet; the Egyptian Fire or the Sun Goddess.

Only one person in all of Egypt had these bands and it was the one of Pharaoh Ramesses II's eldest sons; Portgas D. Ace, taking his name from his mother who had gifted him with his pale skin that shown brightly in the calming moonlight. Prince Ace's mother had been a gift to his Father, a gift that had been received and used to sire yet another heir to Egypt's throne. But Ace had no inclination to become Pharaoh, in fact he knew he was at his highest already, there was no way that the High Priest would allow a child of mixed blood to take over Egypt after Ramesses's rule. That and he had several older brothers that would have to die for him to even have a chance at the High Throne, so Ace was content to be the priest, the living bridge to Sekhmet's will. He was in no way even close to his father's power who was a god in the flesh, the Living Horus. But he was powerful enough with his feeble connection to Ra through Sekhmet who shared the responsibility of the sun, he had enough power to command his own wing in the palace if it pleased him, he controlled his own battalion of warriors, he had his own harem, and he possessed his own slaves and land. He held his mighty father's ear being one of his only sons that had been chosen by a god or goddess to serve.

But with all his power, all his influence he was unable to do the one thing that truly mattered to him. He was unable to protect his brother Luffy. Luffy was one of Pharaoh's youngest sons, and much like Ace his mother had been a gift to Ramesses II. Ace had many brothers and a multitude of sisters but Luffy was special, he was one of the only ones who didn't shun Ace his power, but that could be because Luffy was just as pale as Ace. And Luffy was shunned as well; he was cursed, in fact, for being chosen by Chons at the tender age of two months, something that had never happened before. The Moon God choosing Luffy so young was determined by the High Priest as an act of insurgence by the god. An act that was a strategic move to disrupt Amun-Ra and Horus's will, an act that would force Luffy to be chosen as the next Pharaoh as he showed his fortitude at an early age; an act that after Pharaoh had heard from his High Priest had caused the regal ruler to throw a statue of Chons at Luffy badly bruising the child and creating a cut under his eye. This marked the child forever as the infant of Crons, who had tried to undercut Amun-Ra and Horus.

And Ramesses had never forgotten this either, he had sent Luffy as far away as he could. He sent him to foreign countries disguising an act of trust as a way to be rid of the child; secretly the Pharaoh had hoped that one of his fellow rulers would assassinate Luffy. Getting rib of the pest for him and giving him an excuse to invade their lands. But Luffy had never been touched; he had been coddled by the foreign dignities, he had been treated like he was truly going to become the next Pharaoh. Which caused the High Priest to whisper malicious poison into their father's ear once more; creating an acute paranoia towards Luffy and not a day went by that Ace did not curse the High Priest for what he had suggested to the Pharaoh. The High Priest had rotted his father's mind until he was willing to marry his son, Luffy, the bridge to Crons the Moon God who helped to control the tides of the great Nile, to a barbarian in the north. Risking angering Crons and having him take his grace away and leaving Egypt with an angry Nile. But that was not what Ace was concerned about; it was the fact that his baby brother was to be left in the care of a savage from the north; a young prince named Roronoa Zoro.

And no matter how Ace pleaded with his father Ramesses was not to be swayed in his decision, he had even taken to having Ace locked into his quarters for trying to help Luffy run away, leaving Ace with the threat that if he tried it again then he would be stripped of his title and power and be banished.

Not two days later the Great Egyptian Empire found herself missing two of her princes. The priest to the goddess Sekhmet and the priest to the god Crons, two of her princes. It was seen as an act of a vengeful god that Pharaoh Ramesses II was found dead a month later on the night that the sun hid the moon.

_Middle Ages: Song Dynasty (China)_

The boom of explosives and the sound of tortured screams resounded through the bloody battle ground; the new weapons were wrecking havoc on the enemy, the research that went into the design of the new tools of destruction was well founded. It was sickeningly easy to beat back the Jin army. And Luffy ,a slim figure clad in rich silk with stunning embroidery depicting a dragon, couldn't quite stomach that fact, he was used to battles of honor. Where it was a mans own strength that kept him alive and not fancy killing machines. Sometimes Luffy found himself disgusted with the new war tactics that his fellow governors found oh so appealing.

They had all been picked to represent their people, to think of them when they made decisions. And yet it seemed that only few of them did so. It sickened Luffy that the lives of the 'commoners' as some of his fellows had begun to call them were so expendable. When he voiced his thoughts at conference the people that loved war, that loved that they were the ones with all the power would say that he was against advancement. He wasn't, he was all for the increase of trade it brought much needed business to their land and he was fascinated with the new found way that artist were creating their paintings. It was the aspects of destruction that he found unsavory; the creation of grenades, flamethrowers, and new crossbows that made it so very easy to kill someone. He wasn't against the idea of better weapons to protect their soldiers with, it was the principals that some of the others were up taking. That war was a better chose that going on the offensive would be the best move in their current situation, to abandon their long tradition of merely protecting their lands.

Only a handful of people in the group that governed their lands understood his point of view and only his most trusted friend spoke with him in assembly. Ace was always by his side, he could count on Ace. He knew he could, the man had been with him when they were both mere newly minted soldiers waiting for their first taste of real battle. They had fought together, beating back the Jin and the Southern Han side by side. Protecting each other and helping each other. Ace understood where Luffy was coming from, he understood the feeling that Luffy got in the pit of his stomach when he thought about being the invaders. They had gone through hell, watching comrades die in front of them, seeing families torn apart by the wars, and witnessed whole villages being destroyed by the raiders. And Ace understood that Luffy didn't want to be those people, the people that innocents cursed, that mothers feared for their sons from, and children were taught to hate. Ace understood and for that Luffy was grateful.

_Early Modern Period: Mughal Empire (India)_

The quiet gasp of a man taking his last breath, the drip drop of blood leaking from a body onto the floor, and the tense silence of the night. Lavish white stone walls reflect the light of the ever watching moon, illuminating the now dead Emperor with a slit throat. The rebels had come, killed, and were now going to disappear. A cycle that had been the norm for several years ever since the fight for power had upset the rulers of the Empire. Different factions calling for their head to lead, all the while the common people got sick of their own dying for the nobles selfish power struggle, thus the rebellion was born. Invaders ran unchecked by the armies as they were to busy with their owners fights and squabbles. And so the rebellion was born, made to eliminate possible candidates that would take the reins of their Empire and run it into the ground; they weeded out the contenders that looked to fatten their own pockets. Leaving only the few who would stay true to the people alive.

It was dirty work, sinful work, work that would condemn those who participated to hell; none the less even with these facts and beliefs known people still committed the acts that would have them burn in damnation for all eternity. The people that were in the rebellion were numerous, the ones that actually killed few. But two of the very best, two of the few capable of taking another's life no matter the cost were Ace and Luffy. Riffraff whose parents were killed by feuding forces when they were of the ages six and nine, they lived on the streets for two years before being found and adopted by a kind man named Shanks who took care of them for four years before he as executed for going against the current Emperor of Delhi where they lived. After Shanks death the tow were tossed out into the streets once more where they joined the rebellion with the thought of injustice and revenge in mind.

Ace was immediately allowed into the fighting force after he showed his talent in the art of fighting (Shanks had been teaching Ace and Luffy while they lived with him) while Luffy had to slowly climb the ladder of rank for three years before he was allowed to join his brother on his current assignment; the assassination of unworthy rulers. So Ace an Luffy were trusted with the task to kill the ones that the citizens found unfit to guide them, they had been doing this duty for two years and had yet to be caught. And for that they both gave thanks for, for their predecessors had all been caught and killed after three assassinations and they had gone for two years killing dozens. Each night before they left they would pray and each moening when they returned would they repent. They prayed for luck and the grace of the gods and they repented for taking another's life.

But one night they forgot to pray and they missed their target accidently killing an innocent passerby. They were able to escape still but were devastated by what they had done, they were so shocked by this new sin they ad committed that they forgot to repent.

And that was their down fall, for on the night of their next job the gods did not heed their prayers and they were caught and sentenced to death for treason. Many came to view their execution for they had become legends, they had gone for tow years and killed a multitude of nobles. And when the blades of steel came rushing down towards them they merely calmly stated, " _Jangan pernah kembali, berjuan untuk hidup Anda. (Never back down, fight for your life.)_"

_One Piece Universe: Marineford (Grand Line)_

Shocked silence drifted through the stunned battlefield, Monkey D. Luffy had just used the 'King's Disposition' a rare Haki found only in one out of hundreds to stop the descent of the shimmering blade that was about to take his older brother Portgas D Ace's life. The pause was broken by the same Monkey D. Luffy when he kept running towards his brother ignoring the astounded spectators, "I'm coming to save you Ace!" And just like that the silence was broken.

Portgas D. Ace watched as his little brother made his way to him, this wasn't right. Ace was the older brother and he was supposed to take care of Luffy not the other way around, he had promised Sabo to keep luffy alive and here the rubber idiot was risking his life to save him. And as he watched his little brother punch their grandfather, as he was reunited with Luffy and set free, as he acted on instinct to protect Luffy from Akainu's attack memories rushed and bombarded him. Lazy summer night spent star gazing, long days filled with training, and those special moments where Ace felt that everything was right with the world.

As he was burned and scorched by the magma Ace saw his little brother, he was safe. He'd fulfilled his promise to Sabo and had kept Luffy alive as long as he could. With his last glimpse of his baby brother Ace started to slip away but not before seeing the look of panic, disbelief, and soul crushing sadness in Luffy's eyes. And as he saw Luffy being dragged away Ace couldn't help but think to himself and what he thought made him smile and so as he died, he died with no remorse.

_Don't worry Luffy, we'll meet again in the next life. We'll always be together._


	47. Undefined

_Here is U! The idea for this one popped into my head when I was concocting a whole different U version, it was going to be Universal -Summary: Love is one language understood around the world.- it was going to be an AcexLuffy story. They weren't going to be related and were gonna be pen pals! But yeah this one domminated my brain and kicked Universal out of the window, it flew rather far. By the by this oneh is a ZoroxLuffy._

Summary: Because they didn't make promises they couldn't keep.

Undefined

The handful of people that actually knew of their relationship wondered how it would work, they both were dangerous men. Men that you didn't want to cross, men that had the means to have you killed in thirty minutes or less. Luffy was part of the Mafia, a Don to precise. He led the Mugiwara's who were notorious for their bipolar actions. Showing mercy to a man one day by letting him see his family another day, then the next having police find the same man with a slit throat and the Mugiwara symbol etched into his forehead. Zoro on the other hand was a mercenary; he could be hired to kill anyone for the right price. He was wanted in several countries all of which would immediately give him the death penalty. Both of them could be ruthless if needed and both were entrenched in the underworld where backstabbing and assassinations were the norm. Both had killed without blinking an eye and both wouldn't think twice about killing again.

When they were asked why they thought it would work, why they would be able to stay together, why they would be able to never turn against each other they both gave the same answer. They hadn't promised each other anything. They didn't sugarcoat things, they both knew what kind of person each other were, they were people that could survive in the darker corners of humanity and flourish.

They hadn't made any promises that would later be broken; they hadn't promised to not betray each other. Zoro would relieve Luffy of his head in a second if give the right amount and Luffy would crush Zoro if the green haired man ever overstepped his bounds.

"_You know I'll kill you if you hurt any of my nakama, right?"_

"_Ai. And you know I'll cut you down if I'm hired to?"_

"_Of course! I wouldn't expect anything less."_

They hadn't promised not to hurt each other. In fact they did that daily. It hurt Zoro to see Luffy tormenting himself by staying in the background while his family fought and Luffy was hurt everyt so often by Zoro's callous comments.

"_I'll hurt you."_

"_Shishishi, I know. But I'll end up hurting you to so it's okay."_

They hadn't promised that the relationship would last. In fact they both had a firm belief that if it did go past the one year mark one of them would end up dead in a matter of days. Zoro thought because by that time one of Luffy's enemies would of heard about their fondness for each other and would use him to get to the Don. While Luffy was sure that Ace would kill Zoro to stop him from blabbing their secrets to unsavory ears.

"_We probably won't last long."_

"_Eh, whatever. I'm not looking for a long lasting relationship, were doing this because we click."_

"_Hmmm…"_

But even without those promises, without those vows that most would make they still held together, They survived through the years their friends making jabs at the fact that they'd been together so long that they could practically be married. When they heard this they would both snort and comment on how they weren't looking for a long term thing which would cause their collective precious people to burst into laughter.

"_I won't promise you the world but I can give you my heart."_

"_That's all I need from you."_


	48. Vengeance

_Ahhhhh! I hate this chapter letter thing! But I made myself a promise that I'd finish with this continued story on the 17th, on this fics birthday! I really had to force myself to type this, it took alot longer then some of the other letters that were twice as long as this. It disgust me! _

_The only thing I have to say about this chapter in a postive light is that I had a pretty easy time picking the actual word I was going to use -sometimes it takes me forever to pick a word that I can make something with-. I was inspired by a picture that I remembered from Deviantart, it was of a Zombie!Ace and Luffy. Luffy was confused and Ace was well all zombie-ish._

Summary: Revenge was his! Straw Hat had finally paid!

Vengeance

Luffy looked at his opponent in horror. It was _Ace_. His best friend, his sworn brother, his lover, the one who would keep his fears at bay when he was a child, the one who had his back in Gray Terminal, the one he had broken into Impel Down for, the one who he had failed to save, it was _Ace_. _Ace_ who he had watched die in muted horror, _Ace_ who had taken the attack meant for him, _Ace_ who had died from that same attack.

"Kishishishi! Kishishishi! Now what will you do Straw Hat? Can you kill your beloved _brother_? Will you be responsible for his death _again_?" Luffy's horrified gaze flickered to the one responsible for what he was seeing; Gecko Moria. The Shichbukai who'd eaten the Kage Kage no Mi giving him the power to possess, control, manipulate, and capture shadows to do his bidding.

The shadow controller continued to laugh as Luffy's eyes changed adopting a furious light within, a light that Moria was sure was created because of what he had done to 'Fire Fist' Ace's body. He'd taken it after the battle of Whitebeard -as people had come to call it- was finished, he'd commissioned Hogback to salvage the burnt corpse into a usable puppet that he could inject a shadow into. Then, _then_ he'd found someone who had no personality, no presence to them and stole their shadow. He'd put it into Ace's body and then he'd _trained_ the blank shadow inside to _be_ Portgas. He'd studied and collected all the information he could on the fire user and compiled all the information he could. He'd taught the shadow inside Portgas's body how to be 'Fire Fist' until the dummy Ace was perfect! It knew all of Portgas's attacks, it knew his mannerisms, and most of all Moria had taken special care to make sure that the copy Ace felt what Moria wanted it to towards Straw Hat.

Contempt, disdain, hate, loathing, and derision. Moria had made sure that was all the copy Ace would feel towards the rubber idiot who had destroyed his brilliant zombies.

He'd seen how the idiot had reacted in those few seconds before he passed out when Ace had died. He'd been _broken_. He was despairing over the death of his loved one and Moria loved it! It was as if nothing else existed to Straw Hat in those few moments except his brother, and Moria was struck with a brilliant idea. That he would use Ace to get to Straw Hat! And it'd been a fantastic idea for Straw Hat was now unable to do anything except glare at him in hatred.

"I hate you Luffy! I want you to die!" Ace's voice echoed off the ghostly buildings as the mist closed in once more. "It's your fault I'm dead Luffy! It's your fault!"

Moria looked on in maniacal glee as Straw Hat's eyes lost there fire and a dim haunting sorrow filled them, "I'm so sorry Ace. I'm so so sorry." Moria cackled once more, Straw Hat sounded so _broken_ it was so lovely! It was music to his ears! And then the one thing that Moria had hoped, dreamed, and wished for with all his might happened! The Straw Hat idiot allowed his 'brother' to stab him through his heart! And he did it all with such a derelict expression!

Moria laughed, he cackled, he guffawed, and he screeched out his merriment at the scene in front of him. Straw Hat Luffy was dying! Killed by his own 'brother'! Straw Hat was dying believing that his brother hated him, that his love wanted him dead! It was priceless!

As the light in the rubber teen's eyes finally shuttered out completely Moria left with a final cackle and a kick to the dead teen's body all the while smiling widely. He dissipated the shadow inside Portgas's body as he left, he no longer needed the fire user, he'd gotten what he wanted.

_~#~#~#~#~_

While the moon forlornly shined down illuminating the pale corpses of 'Straw Hat' Luffy and 'Fire Fist' Ace a whisper on the wind could be heard. So softly that not even the keenest of ears could make out what was said. But one person knew for that person understood everything about the one who had voiced the heart filled words. And that person accepted what was said and answered back just as softly for the dead can only speak silently.

"_I love you Ace, please forgive me."_

"_Of course Luffy, I could never blame you.."_


	49. Weary

_FLOP! Epic failure! I abhord this letter, it's so icky! But like I said befor I have a plan and I've set due dates and W was due today so W will be posted. _

_This was a really good idea to start then I hit a wall and pushed through it so I could post tonight -ermmm this morning- and it morphed into this hideous creature. So gone on and tell me how bad it sucks because I know it does. No need to sugarcoat things!_

Summary: He was tired, and Zoro understood.

Weary

A bone weary sigh echoed through the silent night. The moon elegantly lit up the darkness of nigh baring witness to a number of things. The moon saw forbidden lovers meeting under the twinkling stars, she gazed at tired sentries falling asleep at their post, she viewed tiny children being tucked in for the night by loving parents, she caught glimpses of devilish men slinking around in the slums, and she witnessed one of the most wanted 'rookies' contemplating his life in silence.

Luffy was by no means a philosopher, he didn't wonder at the origins of the universe, he didn't ponder if there really was a god, and the ageless question of 'which came first, the chicken or the egg' didn't leave him tossing and turning at night. But he did wonder at life, he pondered about fate, and the thought of his nakama being taken away kept him awake at night.

And for only being seventeen Luffy was tired. He was bone-weary at times when it felt like he had lived centuries instead of his mere decade and seven years. The things that he's seen made him wake up in terror sometimes, the events he's lived through hound him when everyone else is gone, and the crimes he's committed; the ones that _hurt_ people and make them _bleed_ and _kills_ them torture him never giving him a moments respite. But even with all this he plays his part. He acts the childish captain because that's what he _is_. He shoves the night terrors to the back of his mind only allowing them to surface when he knows that no one will see, that no one will know. His crew shouldn't have to shoulder his burden, it was his sins and he had to atone. So he hid away his pain and kept it deeply under wraps so no one could find it.

Zoro knew things. He didn't read books like Robin did, nor did he gather slips of information on the wind like Nami, and he certainly didn't talk to animals like Chopper would on occasions. Instead he had gut feelings, he read people; he dug into a person's psyche and learned what there drive was. He went by instinct, if he had a feeling he followed it. Simple.

So when he felt a certain tiredness, a certain feeling of exhaustion coming from his captain he followed his instinctive feeling to confront and listen to Luffy.

When Zoro faced him about his worn out aura in a no nonsense way that told Luffy that Zoro _knew_ what he was talking about Luffy was honestly surprised. Then he became slightly annoyed when Zoro just wouldn't let up. The damned green haired man wouldn't take 'I don't want to talk about it' as an answer! He kept on about it never leaving him to sort out his thoughts by himself, and finally he did break. The dam burst and he was telling his first mate everything. About his sins, the ones that he had committed and wouldn't give him a moments peace. He poured everything out, telling Zoro everything. All his worries, all his insecurities, everything that he had kept bottles up. And through it all Zoro sat, he listened, and he didn't judge. It was a blessing, that he had someone who would listen to everything and still see him the same.

"_Thanks Zoro. Thanks for listening."_

"_Baka, you should have just told me what was going on in that rubber head of yours form the start. Would have saved you a bunch hurt."_


	50. Xyloglyphy

_And here's X my pretties! Sorry this one took so long, I've been putting my energies into the grand finale of this fic instead and sort of forgot about updating the last three letters. But I remembered and here's X!_

Definition: Xyloglyphy- Wood carving (no joke, that's what it actually means)

Xyloglyphy

Everyone on the Thousand Sunny had their own quirks, their own hobbies that made them strange, and their own routines that they carried out daily even if they didn't notice.

For some of them it was as simple as double checking that all of his or her chests, closets, cabinets, etc. were locked. For others it was constantly tinkering with some new invention while talking to themselves. While others unknowingly followed the same base structure every day.

Zoro was a mixture of all three of these; he had his quirks, his hobbies, and his daily routine down pat. Whenever he got lost he'd buy an apple, he doesn't know why he does it he just does. One of his favorite things to do was get up at midnight and lift weights while reading one of Robin's books. And his day was outlined in three moves. Sleep, train, and watch Luffy. Those were the three things that he did without fail every day.

So one can understand that his day would be shaken when Luffy went missing, oh Zoro knew his captain was on the Thousand Sunny. He just didn't know where exactly which rubbed him the wrong way. He was used to knowing where his bouncy captain was at all times. And for once he didn't know, and it upset him. Not in the girly way where you burst into tears. But in the sense that you have an itch and just can't quite reach it.

And this imaginary itch that was caused by Luffy's absence bugged him, so without a moment's hesitation he went searching; forgoing his usual nap in favor of finding his childish captain. He checked all the usual places that his captain could be found; the kitchen was first on his list, then the hyperactive teen's room, followed by a visit to Brook, a hasty check of where he knew Usopp and Chopper to be, a quick glance to Robin's corner of the ship, and a hesitant search of Franky' workshop where the shipwright was singing to himself. All to no avail. Luffy just couldn't be found and now the green haired teen was starting to attract attention to himself with his perusal of the ship.

"… Zoro Bro, is there something you need?" The swordsman's eyes darted over to the blue haired cyborg a contemplative light in his eyes.

"…. Nothing…"

"Ah, all right. Supa!"

One more check of the kitchen lead to no leads on the missing rubbery teen and only got Zoro a fight with Sanji on why he was in the kitchen to begin with. All the while Robin watched from her secretive corner smiling slightly. She had an idea of what had gotten the swordsman so twitchy and she thought it was cute.

"Swordsman-san, you wouldn't be looking for Captain-san would you?"

"You know where he is?"

"Mmhmm, he said something about catching up on his work. I believe that he's in the workshop."

A startled mist glazed over dark eyes, what could Luffy possibly be doing in there? The only people that ever spent time in there was usually Franky and Usopp. With a nod of thanks Zoro was off. As he came closer to the supposed residence of Luffy Zoro couldn't help but ponder on what was Luffy doing in the workshop to begin with. All of Luffy's creativity was put into his games with Usopp and Choppe along with his drawings as far as Zoro knew, so what could his captain be doing?

As he got closer he could make out the faint sound of Luffy humming Bink's Sake. When he slowly peeked inside the poorly lit room he was surprised at what he found. His captain, Monkey D. Luffy, a hyperactive idiot, a childish moron with the drawing skills of a three year old was carving wood. And he was good at it! There was a pile of wood splinters and shavings surrounding him giving evidence to how long he had been there. And in his hands was a mini replica of the Going Merry. With Nami's mikan trees and all! And as Zoro continued to watch his captain he slowly started to make his way into the room being careful not to disturb Luffy. When Luffy finally did notice him and gave him a huge grin in greeting he just grunted out a hello before sitting down and falling asleep. He knew where Luffy was now, all was right with the world.


	51. Yuck

_And here is Y! It's a but sloppy and I think a bit stiff but it was a rush job that I did in like twenty some minutes in an attempt to keep to my mental checklist. Get Y done on Monday the 12th, check! Work on this fics Grand Finale some, check!  
_

Summary: Luffy's always had trouble eating his vegetables, he just got away with it when he was younger. _  
_

Yuck

"You can't make me eat that!" Nami sighed, her captain was running around the dining room with Sanji and Chopper in close pursuit each wielding a plate of vegetables.

"Luffy! You rubbery shithead! Just sit down and eat the damn food!"

"You have to eat them Luffy! They keep you healthy!" Chopper shifted into his dear form with a frown set and quickly caught up to his captain and tackled him, both of them landing in a heap.

"Good job Chopper! Now hold him down while I feed him!" A nod was the only answer that Sanji got as he tried and failed to pry his captain's maw apart. "Damn it Luffy, just open your god damn mouth and eat the food! It won't kill you!"

"But it taste bad!"

"And I don't care just eat it already!" And with a hasty hand Sanji shoved the vegetables in his captain's mouth when he opened it to complain once more.

The sounds of choking was heard before a forced swallow silenced them leaving Luffy gasping on the floor with Chopper on top of him still. "I'm dying! Dying!"

And as Luffy scratched at his throat in a last ditch attempt to rid himself of the horrid things called vegetables a memory of something similar to the situation he was just in surfaced.

_~%~%~%~%~_

_A crash was heard and Sabo sighed, it was best not to question his brothers when they got like this. He had dared to question their antics once and had been led in a circle of unexplained logic that gave him a headache that lasted for the rest of the day. "Bu-But Ace! It's gross!"_

_ "I don't care Luffy! It's good for you! So eat it!" _

_ "Ahhh! NO! Sabo! Help meeee~!"_

_ Sabo looked on in exasperation. His 'brothers' were fighting, again. Over something that was idiotic. "Luffy just eat the damn broccoli." At the deadpan voice of their brother Luffy pouted while Ace viciously grinned in triumph. _

"_HA! See! Sabo thinks you should eat it to!" A mild scuffle was initiated, "Luffy just hold still and eat the damn thing!" _

_ "NO!" Sabo watched dispassionately as Luffy struggled to squirm his way out of under Ace who was sitting on him. "Let me go Ace! Let me go!"_

_ Silence descended and Sabo closed his eyes in contentment, they were finished arguing it seemed. "ACK! Luffy you bit me!" With the garbled words Sabo's eyes snapped open once more and an angry fire lit his glowing orbs. _

_ "That's it! Both of you! Shut up! I'm trying to sleep. If you want do this later, but not at two in the bloody morning!" The thundering voice of their brother froze the two dark haired children in their tracks, when Sabo got angry it was best to duck down and follow orders._

_ A deathly quiet flooded the dark room only broken by the tick tock of the clock in the hallway and the occasional chirp of a cricket. _

_ "….Ace, I'm scared." The tentative voice slipped out into the night as the two D. brothers looked over to their now sleeping third. _

_ "I am to Luffy, I am to." Soothing circles were rubbed into the youngest brothers back and a held in breath was exhaled. _

_ A snore signaled the state if sleep that their brother was in and the two D. children slowly untangled themselves form each other and tiptoed their way to their beds. The silence came back, this time it was less frightening and terror inducing. "…. So I don't have to eat the broccoli?" _

_ A hiss was the only answer that came, a hiss that immediately shut down any response Ace was going to make. It seemed that there would be no more talk of broccoli while Sabo slept._


	52. Zek

_Here's Z, I had a way easier time finding a word for this letter then my KiddxLuffy alphabet. I think it's because I used the Internet instead of my dictionary this time, there is no limit to the usefulness of the almighty Internet!_

_And can you believe it? I've finished both of my alphabets! Now all that's left is my Grand Finale which I will post to celebrate this fics birthday. The 17th of this month will be the finishing date of this fic, finally!_

Definition: Zek- A prisoner in a labor camp.

Summary: He'd found his reason, the reason why he had fought.

Zek

Portgas D. Ace didn't know how long he'd been in hell; all he could remember was that it hadn't been his whole life. He remembers soft blankets, clean fresh air, and delicious chocolate cake. He's lost his sense of time, or has it lost him? Maybe he's the one who's gotten lost, left behind, forgotten? That wouldn't surprise him, he's scum so says the Taskmasters. And they know all and if you challenge their knowledge, well, it isn't pretty. The last man that Ace knows of that dared to question them was a green haired teen named Zoro, he'd tried to protect and defend a girl from one of the Taskmasters. The Taskmaster –for that was all they, the lowly scum of society, could call them- had been after the dark haired girl's innocence and Zoro had tried to protect it and the girl.

He'd managed to stop the Taskmaster from –when Ace thought of this word it made him shiver in revulsion- _raping_ the girl, Kuina. But he'd been punished, he'd been beaten to within an inch of his life and left out without any protection. At the mercy of nature, weathering through the harsh storms that slashed through the camp and the maddening sun that drove others crazy. When his punishment was over and he was dragged down from the rock he'd been chained to he was taken to a room. And they could all hear his screams and some wondered what could be happening, what could the Taskmasters be doing to the green haired rebel to make him scream so? He hadn't screamed when they had beaten him and he hadn't uttered a sound when he was left out to die. So what could make him suffer so?

They found out two hours –was that really the time or merely a fabrication- later, Kuina, the girl that Zoro had protected was dragged out of the room. Blood seeping out from between her legs and blank unseeing eyes told them what had happened. The girl that Zoro had tried to protect, the girl he had suffered for had still been violated. She'd been broken in front of him and it in turn had hurt him. They all thought that Zoro would be taken back to his rock, to suffer more and be stoned by the Taskmasters when they were bored. But, it never happened and they were all left wondering what had happened to the green haired teen.

And they found out a week later when in the morning light when the sun just started his ascent into the heavens they found Zoro strung up, hung from the dead tree in the middle of the courtyard. He was obviously beaten, his clothes were in tatters. Whip slashes had ripped away the cloth and hot branders had charred away the filth. He'd had nails hammered through his hands at one point and there were scratches on his back that led down into his pants that gave them a sickening thought. That he to had been violated, that he'd been broken just as Kuina had who'd killed herself as soon as she was alone.

As Ace watched the sun rise and highlight the injuries on Zoro's back he couldn't help but wonder what had driven the teen to go against the Taskmasters. Zoro had been in hell almost as long as Ace and he knew the rules, he knew that you never questioned the Taskmasters.

Three days after Zoro was taken down from the tree a new group of people were brought to hell. Weeping women, crying children, and stone faced men. All people that had been classified as filth and scum who were removed from the publics eye. And in the group of twenty so people Ace saw him. A dark haired boy, with a light in his eyes that Ace was sure would be decimated before the weeks end.

His name was Monkey D. Luffy, and he proved Ace wrong. The dark haired teen survived in hell. His light wasn't blown out, it held strong and beckoned Ace near him. Like a moth to a flame.

Within two weeks of Luffy being in hell he'd caught many people's attention, Ace was included in this bunch. As was a Taskmaster, the same one that had wanted Kuina. And as the Taskmaster plotted and watched the beautiful boy known as Luffy Ace got to know the teen. And Luffy amazed him, he was so vibrant, so filled with light that shined ever so brightly that it chased the shadows of hell away.

And before Ace knew it he fell in love with the boy.

So when the Taskmaster finally acted, finally decided that the stunning dark haired boy would be his Ace fought him. He used everything in sight to stop the Taskmaster from touching _his_ Luffy. And he overpowered the Taskmaster, he killed him. But his triumph was not to last for the other Taskmasters did not care for rebellion and they were infuriated that scum such as Ace had dared lay a hand on one of their own let alone kill him.

And as they tortured him, as they made him suffer Ace couldn't help but remember the thought he had had when Zoro was found dead. He had found the answer to his own question, Zoro had fought for the same reason he had. Zoro had suffered in silence for the identical reasoning as him. They both loved someone, someone who was threatened and they had fought to protect them. They had fought and saved them so they would not ask for forgiveness they would not utter a sound for they did not regret their actions. Because they had done it for a loved one.


	53. Grand Finale

Firstly, this is** NOT THE GRAND FINALE**, the Grand Finale for this fic was _**posted separately**_ under the name **Three Wishes for the King** because it got so big. It hit 6,000 words baby!

Secondly, that's why this has such a gimpishly tiny amount of words, because this isn't the actual thing. So if you sweating that fact that I made the final update for this story terribly disappointing have no fear because this isn't the actual update!

Last, now this update is the final one for this story and I planned it out so this fic is exactly one year old when it's finished. Same day and same month! So let us all sing Happy Birthday to my fic please.

And a one and a two-

_Happy Birthday to you~_

_Happy Birthday to you~_

_Happy Birthday dear A-ZWithLuffy~_

_Happy Birthday to you~_

I think that was a success, even though we had to say the fics name super fast to not get off beat, it works in a demented way. It works and don't you question it!

Ah, sorry. I planned to post this at 12:00 but I ended up going tubing with my friend from 11:00ish to about now. So sorry.

P.S I'm sorry if your mildly pissed at me for posting this as 'Grand Finale' then having it not be and it directing you to a totally different story. I'm sorry, but as stated before Three Wishes for the King got to big. I originally thought it'd be a 2,000-3,000 word thing but it grew to be over 6,000 words and was just to big to put in here. So once again sorry if I upset any of you, I know I'd get a little peeved if anyone did this to me.


End file.
